Surprise Miracles
by AnonymousStinkKat001
Summary: Life now for a couple, Brian/ Hoodie and Tim/Masky just got a whole more complicated when thrown under a loop as a shocking, completely unexpecting and almost unwanted surprise comes storming in to take them by forced unwillingness through a roller coaster of strange, yet quite awful feelings and emotions which are mixed into one hot, jumbled mess.
1. Chapter 1

**Five-Six Weeks; First Trimester April 4th**

A beautiful day it was with the clearest blue sky and during so the sun shining warmness, directing it towards a lone cabin through the small crevices of the curtains to a room. The cabin was right dab in the middle of a thickly settled forest where the blinding lights bounced off onto the sleeping body within that remained under some comfy blankets. A man underneath the comfy covers were the one getting stirred awake sadly from his well-rested slumber not by the birds outside the window chirping away a sweet tune in his ears or the bright rays of light from the sun but by another more disgusting reason. It was the sounds that he was awaken from and they were absolutely sickening, completely revolting for him to hear this early, he can only describe it as someone literally coughing up a lung. A hand was pressed up against the mattress he laid upon which he tiredly pushed himself off to check up on whoever it was making that sickening noise. The source to it he already knew full well so it won't come to him by a total surprise, most likely coming from his long-term and recently ill partner.

"U-ugh... Wha-what the hell...?" A tired voice whimpers out from the other side to their shared bathroom when he reaches the door. "...I-it burns..."

"Hey babe. Are you in there again?" He simply asked.

"Yeah. I-I'm here. All fine a-and dandy Brian. Don't w-worry about it" A sigh leaves his lips upon hearing the lame response by the other man. An unknown sickness was plaguing his partner for many weeks on end with it showing that there will be no stopping any time soon and that part worried him. "I'll be back I-in bed in a sec so be patient. I k-know you can wait..."

"Hm..." Brian hums. "... Nah I really can't" The door handle twists as he lets himself into the bathroom, wincing slightly at the sight of the other bent over with head practically in the toilet. "Jeeze. You don't look too hot?" His hand was placed on the smaller man's back rubbing in circles to be at least a comfort of sorts.

"I-I... told you I'll be fine and t-th-that you should've waited in b-bed for me...?" Moments later before any form of an argument were to start the sickly-looking man went on returning to vomiting like crazy.

"Sure, about that? This has to be like the millionth time I've seen you with your head basically dunked in the toilet" Brian mused, reminiscing the times the other man be dashing to the bathroom with a greenish tinge to his cheeks at the most importunate time. "Maybe you should go get it checked up, Tim. It's starting to make me worry a bit?" The worrying he tried to hide behind his smile was shown clearly as he kept up with the soft concerned rubs.

"Eh. I-it's probably only a bug. You worry too much" Tim replied like it was nothing really to be frantic about in the first place. He then shakily drags his worn-down body over to the sink besides him, planning on washing the remaining bits of vomit away from his mouth. The cold water on his pale skin was refreshing to say the least as it dripped off him and onto the tiled floor. He after cleaning off the mess went on to leave the cramped bathroom to go back over to his side of the bed. "Where am I supposed to go anyways? Like hell we're be able to afford something like the doctors anyways as we're not made out of a lot of money here? And even then, we won't be exactly welcomed outside this forest? You know that" A simple shrug from his sloping shoulders came as he laid his sore body on the headboard.

"You know we can always go somewhere else? Like the mansi…"

"No" He interrupted the other in mid-sentence. "I'm not going there. It's like a hellhole there and more? It's surrounded with a bunch of idiotic freaks that can kill us both in a millisecond if saying one wrong thing to them" The other sighs tiredly when seeing his defiant boyfriend cross his hands over his chest. "I'd rather die from whatever this is then going there...?"

"You're sick, Tim. Deathly so and it isn't getting any better. Can we go there to check it up just once" He said in almost pleading tone. "And if it's nothing serious I won't bring it up again and we can just spend our free time alone together" There was a sign of defeat in Tim's eyes that only rolled in shear annoyance.

"Okay. Okay I'll go if that makes you feel better?"

"Thank you"

Brian went on to fetch some clothes not only for him but as well with the man sitting down on the bed staring blankly out the window. "Here you go" Tossing the usual attire right in the unexpected face that wasn't paying attention to him. "We be heading out over there so you know, get it out the way?" Even when it was supposed to be their day off from the strenuous work and having heard the irritated groans from his partner because of it, he wanted to make sure that there wasn't anything deathly wrong. It may be awfully nice to get some fresh air too while they at it Brian thought as he looks over to Tim who was seeming to have more troubles then he already has and it was with the clothes. "What's wrong this time? Is it your clothes or something?"

"Son of a bitch... " Tim hisses as he truthfully did have some difficulty at the moment being that he was unable to button up his jeans, hard enough was it to as it was to pull up it past his legs. "... Yeah I am. Don't know why they won't... won't freaking fit" His body was often seen as lean and fit with a flat stomach, no sign to an ounce of fat though now he was dealt a bad hand with a noticeable protrusion in his midsection. He then continuously tugs at his tan winter jacket to appear smaller to lower his self-consciousness at the situation. A soft chuckle made him lift his head to see Brian covering the laughter with his hand in a miserable attempt. "Stop laughing. It's not funny" The task to fitting into the jeans was given up as he tosses them back to the face owned by his boyfriend.

"Aw. Come on I didn't mean to. It was with you than actually at you, baby"

The pants were thrown at the dirty clothes hamper when attempting to stop the snickering chuckles in hope be better suited to comfort his annoyed partner. "I just go get the baggier ones I have in the closet. At least I know those will fit me..." He replied, getting grumpier when taking out a grey pair of sweatpants and easily fitting into them then the last pants. A couple minutes later was him telling the other to shut up about the ridiculous incident that had turned his cheeks a bright pink. 'Oh Tim. Baby please I was only joking' That was what he heard throughout the entire they walked down a dirt path. that he acknowledges leads them to the worst place in the world. "God... I really don't want to be here at all" He replied in a sour tune when taking his first step in the carpeted floor to the mansion.

"Tim. I said it probably last an hour tops here and when we're done with this whole thing, we can spend all the time of our day off back home with one another?" Brian flirtishly whispers in the other's ears. "Cuddling and maybe much more if you up to it though with this little parasite it is getting in our way?"

"Yuck. W-why don't you two g-g-get a room or something? I-I or nobody else wants to s-see this display?"

An annoyed groan came from Tim that soon he got a quick yet soft jab to his side with the words play nice. "Hey Twi... Toby" He bits back from saying his usual common nickname for the other proxy through clenched teeth, "Don't you have something better to do then annoy us such as doing this shit with somebody else instead?"

"Well I u-usually do when you guys are h-here but since you're here for like, n-no reason whatsoever then I-it's kind of deserving?" Toby spoke up with a smug grin.

"We're only here to check up with E.j since Masky right now isn't feeling too well? You of all people should know that" Brian replied, using their nicknames then real names due to a random privacy rule made by the Slenderman for proxies. It was over the top annoying that rule had to be made as it felt it was taking a piece of individuality from each and every one of them to be used more as a puppet than an actual human being. "So, we got to get going. Talk to you later, okay?" The youngest to the three looked completely befuddled and amazingly worried that turned into one contorted facial expression. Brian held onto Tim's hand where they walked past the crowded mansion to E.j's clinic that was on the bottom floor.

"Looks drab as always?" Tim took in the colorless clinic that had literally no colors besides white, grey, and black. "There he is." He boringly points out an eyeless man up ahead scrambling with the many papers on his desk. The guy as Tim says to himself in his head was clearly busy and wouldn't want any uninvited guests in his occasional well-kept sanctuary. "And since he looks really, really busy here and stuff, I guess we can take an immediate leave from the building" A instant turn to face the door was abruptly stopped as his partner called out for the manor's medic to his annoyance.

"Oh, uh hi to the two of you? What brings you guys here to the clinic today?" The medic with empty sockets spoken up when finding out he had company with him. He places the stack of papers back on a messy array on the table to give a firm hand shake to the men.

"Masky hasn't been feeling too well the past couple weeks now and well I don't think it's a stomach bug or a parasite?"

Eyeless Jack only nods when allowing the other men to enter the clinic more so they wouldn't have to stand near the doorway like a bunch of cautious wild animals. A hand was pulled out ahead him to tell the masked one to come closer to him so he can do his job. The necessary medical equipment was taken from its hiding places in the corners in case he needed to take some tests. "Mind telling me some of your issues? The main ones that is troubling you?" Jack asked when helping Tim sit on the neatly made bed that he had to pull down the rails on the sides for easy access. A hint of hesitance was the only answer to his simple question that he had to ask for the sake to get a better understanding to what may possibly be wrong with the proxy.

The emotionless mask wearing man finally spills out everything that got him to be there in the clinic. "...Well I've haven't been feeling all that well in the couple weeks now. Like for example, I'm suffering from severe fatigue to the point I can't work to the best of my abilities at the moment? Weirdly enough too is I have to go to the bathroom a whole lot more then I normally do?" All that was a jumbled array of peculiar symptoms to something Jack knew but couldn't pin point to a definite answer. He continued on, "... And sadly, some bloating and soreness if you can't tell by now if you're bli...?"

"Don't forget about the nausea part, Mask? You got to see the guy Ej. He has his head basically in the toilet throwing up his organs every day?" His hooded partner interjected before he made the chance to finish his sentence.

"Yes, the nausea as well is on the list too and that is just awful"

"Hm. Those are quite the odd symptoms? I got an idea to what it may be but I want to make sure that is the cause with a couple tests" The manor's medic says when making Tim tug his sleeve up to take a draw of blood. "Besides this, the blood of course I will need you to take a urine sample and I know it is something uncomfortable to ask but it needs to be done" A surprised nod yet understanding why he told the sick man to take the test were to get a better knowledge to what type of illness it was plaguing the proxy. "It takes a while so try to bear with me" Jack replies, leaving in a rushed manner when getting all that he needed at the moment with that one idea troubling in the darkest corners to his mind.

A moment of silence came as the two sat there in a separated room from the clinic where they were forced to wait for the results. It was as much awkward as it was tense when Brian ended up staring blankly at the four walls around him. He couldn't help to stare longingly at the man sitting on the medical bed besides him that looked like he went through the underworld and barely survived from it. Brian didn't say that to him to save his own hide from his moody, more so now than ever partner. "What do you think it may be?" It was asked and it can't be taken back when seeing in the corner of his eyes the other did nothing less than a dramatic eye roll.

"I don't know? Probably a parasite like you said earlier?" Tim said as he didn't want to express to any worry like how Brian was since it would get him nowhere to finding the truth to his problem. "I'm not too worried about it anyways" The tapping to Brian's shoe hitting the tiled floor annoyed him to no end though as stated earlier it was caused by the nerves getting at the guy. It was going to take quite some time to get the results in so he shouldn't have any worries even when he, himself was struggling to not sweat a second layer on top of his pale skin. Results were to come around any second now and it killed him almost literally that it had him grating his teeth when in an endless wait. An hour and a half went by with nothing in return from their eyeless comrade that hadn't entered the small room they were forced to stay and wait with the test results.

"Are you sure it's nothing like you said? Maybe it's something more than that and is actually very worse?"

"It's not as I tried to assure you on plenty of times before?"

"Yeah okay but what if it is? I uh... we I mean. The both of us here I don't think be able to handle a thing that traumatic like losing one another?"

"Don't need to get so sappy with the whole possible death thing now? I won't die and if I do amazingly, shocking for even me to say, it won't affect you too bad in the long run"

"You say that if it's not a bad thing to just die?"

"It isn't a bad thing to think about..." The conversation turned rather dark came to an end thankfully so to not turn into the unsettlingly morbid about the topic on death and how it was looming over everybody. "...Thank god Jack is coming back" One in the white mask replied in a monotone when hearing the faint steps nearing their room. A quick look up and down at the cannibal medic shown a great variety of different emotions. Tim and Brian can guess that it isn't anything to show a sigh of relief towards as Tim was the first one to speak. "What's the matter? Is it that horrible since it appears that you've seen a ghost when I see you or something?" He further wanted to question the change to the expressions on Jack's face from surprise to amazement.

"Not exactly..." Eyeless Jack responds when staring back from the results grasped in his undead hands. "...It is something much more than a simple ol' bug in your stomach, Masky though it is similar in some ways?"

"Just get to the point Jack" Brian went to interrupting the long-drawn words leaving the other's mouth.

"Okay. I'll say it bluntly then, huh? Congrats to the two of you" The response was so out the blue and sudden that the two men in front of him didn't even react as he continued on, "You're pregnant and around five nearing six weeks to be exact" A soft poke at the masked man's stomach was to alert their attention back from wonderland to him. "It's quite the amazing thing here? Getting me all excited to continue on with this discovery?" He says in a more pleasant voice when Brian got out from the shocked daze.  
"What? You can't be serious with this?" Brian replied shakily.

Tim couldn't believe what had just been told to him as he stares wide eyed with mouth agape at the eyeless man standing in front of him. "Uh... Heh. Heh. Very funny joke, not the best yet you're getting there so what is it actually?" A forced chuckle he made to tell that he wasn't going to buy the bullshit being spewed out to him like he was some numbskull idiot. The reaction he got wasn't what he wanted from the medic that had a poker face.

"You're pregnant that is what I mean. No practical joke is involved as I would never do something so malicious to you guys as proxies. I know of the consequences to doing that is with Slender who doesn't take anything as a joke"

"But that can't possibly be true? I'm a guy here and been that way since well freaking forever so I wouldn't be born with the proper 'equipment' to do such a thing like carrying a child"

"You are as from what the charts I've done moments ago say? I can go on to explain it to you guys so there be a better understanding?" Tim watches as Brian simply nodded to the request as he, himself was slowly losing it. An idiot he wasn't and he wasn't going to buy some shit like that from someone like Ej that was supposed to be smarter to believe in an impossible idea like this one. "It is impossible, yes for a male like yourself to be pregnant and I didn't think that was going to be the answer to your issues until I realize something" Jack pulled out a vial filled with a pink unknown liquid where it was like a prize. "My 'magnus opus' here in my hand that I've been working on for months on end, coming with little results in the past may have been the cause to this. I know. I know that's a very weird thing for myself to randomly pull out this and say it so openly that this is how you came up to this predicament yet it did the impossible"

"Yeah... Very much so. Got many things to ask like what does it even do and how did it do this?" Brian primarily known as Hoodie said with a jumble of questions. "Also, one more thing to add to that is how did this pink liquid come into contact with us to begin with anyways?"

"Oh. This liquid concoction I made and as it is weird to tell this. It was at first to help better people's health, both physically and mentally but now to my surprise, I guess it does the whole conceiving thing too that it be ideal for partners unable to conceive but that's not what you guys intended, right?" Jack kept up with describing it to the best of his intellect that the two proxies would know what he was trying to say, "That's what confuses me greatly too? The two of you would've noticed the changes done in your body, Masky. It causes immense arousal and at the same time displeasure if not satisfied to the fullest. Though that was probably weeks ago when it occurred for the two of you and it likely dissipated for a while after getting your fill if you, uh, know what I mean?" Eyeless Jack said, taking a moment to take in a deep breathe from talking so dang much in his whole life.

The sounds of heavy breathing broken the quietness in the room, Jack nor Brian was the one doing it as Tim hastily pushes his trembling body off the creaking bed. Tim appears to have gathered up all the ounces of information and yet it wasn't sinking in his brain. A pregnant man, that was absurd and downright inhumane in his opinion. It's not like anyone will want to understand the crazy possibilities to his condition and heck he be a part to it if he was a mere bystander, he isn't as he was the sideshow freak on display to the cold world. Eyes that he couldn't detect being either a part to his delirious imagination or the real thing were harshly glaring at him. A sad display it must've been to watch from the outside when he felt his hand get a squeeze to bring him rolling to the sad reality to see a concerned Brian.

A sincere, loving smile couldn't help Tim feel any bit better when he pulled away in a quick manner that left the other man shocked that he done such a thing to him. The voice in the back of his mind kept repeating such not so comforting words. Tim can't and won't understand his predicament when leaning against a wall for support since his body that was in the beginning sore was starting to break down into an unworkable mess. He hated to feel such a way, a sense of worthlessness and disgust wash over himself when staring up at the eyeless man.

"So, if I'm pregnant here that means I can just terminate it then? Abort and the problems are solved, right?" Tim bluntly said.

"Tim!?"

"C'mon don't say that like you're surprised I said it. How in the hell are we, people that are meant to be 'cold hearted killers' going to take care of some baby?!"

"Um about that... An abortion is well, out the question..." Jack manages to get a say into the start to an argument.

"What do you mean I can't have one!? If I'm so called pregnant and I don't want it so why can't I!?" Tim yelled back as his vision was failing him when letting his anger spilling out after allowing it to build within him. He steps awfully near to the medic that in return backed up to not get a nasty taste of his fury. It was hard to focus with the blinding daze he was stuck in for god knows how long as he inches closer to Jack. A hand which was Brian's grabbed at him again as to get him out from breaking every rule built for proxies.

"... Calm down. The reason to why you can't have one is the pink liquid itself. When having digested the liquid, it seeps into your body and create what your male self lacks. That being an artificial womb that can't really be taken out" Jack nervously laughs. "I think I'm using the proper term here to what I believe and most likely you'll go through called feminization? Yeah that's right? I think?"

"Mask, you're fine? Masky? Hello? Earth to Mask?" That stupid god ridden nickname was used to in hopes get his attention diverted from their medic. It worked as he turned around to stare at Brian with an unreadable expression. "Baby. We work it out together so do what the doc says and calm down before you make yourself have a heart attack" Brian said with that smile that he usually loves to look at be instead displayed as revolting and ugly. A childish scene won't be made when he in an instant went to walk out the room, leaving the two men behind him when doing it. "Where you going?"

"I... Uh need some time alone"

Brian was left alone, staying there in the room for minutes to collect himself on what he had went through and struggling to figure out what to do next whilst giving a quick thanks to Jack. Alone was what Tim needed but he wanted to keep talking about it with the other man as it was sure a new thing for both to be in their lives. The thoughts rampaging in him were to come to a speedy end as when he opened the door to leave he heard a thud. It was instantly founded to be the youngest, twitching proxy crouching down near the door to the clinic. A question to why the other man was snooping into something that wasn't any of his business.

"Toby. What are you doing?" He asked simply, waiting for a response.

"H-heh... I didn't mean to, Hoods..." Toby spoke in his signature stuttering manner when dusting himself off from the dirty ground. "I w-was curious, that's all and when I-i heard Mask yelling u-up a storm in there it amplified it...?"

"Guess from the guilty look on your face means that you heard it all in there, huh?"

"Yep. Heard t-that you guys are u-um... expecting? That s-s-sure is something"

"It is... What are you trying to hide from me?" A special gift he had for years was easily telling when others were so carelessly lying to him. The guilty look was made even more so when Toby dug the tip of his shoe into the ground. Toby gulps whatever possible fear he had bubbling in his throat as he stares back with the occasion twitches to his neck averting his eyes at every corner to the room. "I'm waiting" Brian said with an exaggerated sigh, crossing his arms over his chest.

The goggle wearing proxy returns with a lopsided smile that he knew wouldn't land him any spots in the modeling world. "...Okay the-there was a mention of a pink v-vial in there, right?" An eyebrow was raised when nodding that it was indeed mentioned, being the main topic in the conversation with the eyeless medic. "Also, a-also don't k-kick my ass for this but I might've maybe be-been a 'helping hand' in all that" Toby replied as he instinctively backs up a good foot away from Brian.

"Huh? I don't think you would've had a helping hand in this due to the bird and the be...?"

"N-no. No not like t-that I mean?!" Toby squawks out with cheeks going flushed in color. "Did you at least he-hear what I said about t-the vial?" Hand motions were made due to his character of being over active and staying in one place wasn't his thing. " You w-were confused t-to how Masky and you came I-I-into contact with it? Weeks a-ago I u-used it to p-play a joke on Masky th-thinking that it be funny"

"You did what?" The sagging ski mask that always looked sad and pitiful didn't show clearly the opposite to what he was truly expressing underneath the thin back cloth. "Why would you do that?'" Brian asked curiously and obviously in a pissed mood upon hearing it from the other that took it as a playful game.

"Eh. H-heh It's a long, l-long story..."


	2. Chapter 2

**Five-Six Weeks**

"Eh. H-heh It's a long, l-long story..."

"A long story, huh? What kind of long story will you be using to explain how you got Masky and myself into this predicament?"

"I know you're probably v-very, very angry but hear me o-out on this one" Toby said as he tries to go on with the following story to its finest detail even when it happened weeks ago and his memory skills weren't the best. He sure did try his hardest to get the correct information on the tale for his hooded clad upper ranked associate that rubs at the bridge of his nose, showing obvious annoyance with him. "Thought I-it be funny at the time when I d-did it? As you know, some s-sort of retaliation tactic towards him fo-for being s-such an ass to me every single d-day I arrived here and..."

"Uh huh okay? I'm trying not to give you a piece of my mind in a more listening and understanding way for you then a being a literal physical way here so I'll try my best to be civil and polite as to give you the best of chances to speak your side to the story you're trying to tell?" The older proxy couldn't even think or believe that Toby thought that this was supposed to be funny, it wasn't as it was more so reckless to do that to someone that surely change their lives for the possibly and more likely worse than the better.

"Oh Okay. Okay..." Toby continues on while slightly annoyed about the interruption, "Well you know that w-we always been auguring instead of talking, unlike some 'proper' and 'c-ci-civilized' proxies that we are supposed to be but nooo he decides to sa-say that I'm always stupid for thinking that MY ideas and o-overall opinions were marvelous but as he puts it to be 'honest' it is was rather st-stupid?"

"Get on with it, Toby. I don't have all day for you to be a douchebag as I have to find a distressed man that ran off on me to somewhere I don't even know right now?" Brian replied, an authoritative atmosphere developing around him that made the younger man to think more carefully with his words and actions.

"...Jeeze man. Sorry a-again. As I said before y-you were being rude a-and interrupted me is that I wanted to g-get back at the dude. He's always on my back with pointless sss-shit especially with that stupid ass assignment to t-the stupid city for some r-ra-random shit for Slender was the last d-dang straw for me?"

Brian sighs tiredly where he allows the tension to wash away from his stiff body, crossing his arms over his chest. "It's fine. I take your apology for now as I only want you to tell me what you had stupidly done without any lies or anything in the story" He kept on with his passive aggression towards the other man, interrupting him once again when he found the old memories that was barely there returning back in to his mind. "So, let me see if I'm right here or not? It was the one where you and Masky got into that dumbass fight about an assignment from the boss to go to the city neighboring with the forest? Maybe a month or so past from right now"

"Yeah t-that one where he wouldn't hear m-me out at all. Y-you know that a-as you were there when I-it gone down. He stormed out af-after auguring with you when he was d-done with do-doing it with me"

"God man I remember it. It was like it was yesterday when the whole thing happened..."

A month or two, he pins points it to be a month and a half ago where he had the complex moments with Tim since he was in the mansion for that trip to the city when the singular and most detrimental mistake Toby made to seeks out the perfect revenge of the century. Mr. Twitchy that was what he was called by everyone was not the brightest bulb in the box to think that a not so well coordinated plan wouldn't cause so many humorous and complicated events down the road. The start to it got so many more unneeded issues adding up to a list created fictionally for the straining couple that was Tim and himself quarreling so much without a stop in sight. It was over some past trip to a city Brian mentioned earlier that he remembered Tim basically biting Toby's head off upon trying to figuring what they all should do for the assignment. Toby had given an example to how they should go forth as he was in the other room when the other two proxies had that fight as he watched from afar in the doorway.

_"Toby. Listen to me. That's got to be the stupidest thing I ever heard so far in my entire life?" The effeminate mask wearing man says coldly, scolding the younger man that cast his eyes down to the wood floor. It couldn't be believed by his own ears when hearing the most ridiculous words to ever be thought up leaving the twitching proxy about the way they should handle the next awaiting mission. Brian wasn't taken aback by the act his grumpy Mask was doing as he listened to him go on and on with scrambled, mean spirited words that he couldn't hear properly with being too far away from the men. A thing or two should be completely known about the masked man was that he didn't like to play some idiotic games with others, at least having more depth then he'll go with it. Also, using some founded information about the residents that can be used against them just to spite them. It didn't matter either to the guy at all if hurting the people's feelings since it wasn't what their job entails to make friends with the residents at the mansion._

_Brian had finally decided to not be a bystander to the childish fight and went to walk over to Tim and Toby that acted more like an old married couple then he and his masked boyfriend. "Masky. Don't be so mean with the guy now, will you?" His familiar voice came out from pretty much thin air really that gave the man ahead of him all the more reason to groan irritably at when turning around to see the disappointed look he gave when staring back at him. He saw the weak ass attempt the other man had, trying to resist the urge to not roll his eyes in an overly dramatic manner and keeping his mouth shut closed from saying any more venomous words since it was so hard._

_"Hey it's not my fault that he thinks that just going head first into the assigned job is a good thing? It isn't and it's going to get us all killed because of him" Masky replied, not listening to the advice given when he went on to ignoring it to his boyfriend's harsh glares at him. He then went to be the harshest with his words alone as verbally possible to get it through now both men's thick skulls. The masked man could sense the regret that Mr. Spaz who was right next to him was feeling when realizing that talking to him didn't end out like he expected it to be in the end. Masky paid it no mind nor care when getting preoccupied with Hoodie and he wasn't planning on backing down until everyone in the room said he was in the right and they were wrong._

_"Sometimes you need to listen to Toby more than you do now? He does have some good ideas once in a great while if you actually listen to him. It may bite you real hard in the ass one day and I'm going to enjoy it" Hoodie was just as annoyed with how the smaller man was acting at the moment like he known everything in the world._

_"Yeah, he so does have so many bright ideas in the world? This idea is coming from the manor's leading idiot here?"_

_"I guess you forgot about that one time then, huh? The time when you got yourself stuck in the window and had to ask him for help because you gained a little weight after 'trying' to quit your smoking habit? He was like the only one person around that was able to figure out how to get you out than anyone else can think of?" He in the past couldn't help but to snicker a little when seeing the man puff out his chest in which his tan jacket didn't really help but to make it even more noticeable like he was some mixture between a pumpkin and a marshmallow into something quite adorable. "Nice look, munchkin wunchkin? Look sooo threatening here?" A cold, unforgiving glare was sent his way from the now angered masked man that could only do so much without blowing his lid with him. He acknowledges this that later on he'll be given an absurdly large mouthful from the other when the day was done when both returned home for the night. Masky suddenly out of nowhere just simply took in a deep breath such as someone was trying to desperately cool down and then didn't bother looking up at his hooded clad partner in the eye._

_"Whatever then. You win. Happy now since I don't have the necessary time needed for this with you. If you need me I'll be downstairs in the clinic area talking to Eyeless Jack about something I don't even remember..." He spoke as he headed out to the halls, basically leaving the two proxies to be alone in the room to think of what to do with a recent mission. Brian knew he'd only sighed when he faced Toby that had the nerve to move his head up and take his lowered tail out from between his legs. A couple harsh words was what he can hear be last heard to be muttered under the younger boy's breath about his partner's attitude._

"I always wondered wha-what's was or still is his pro-pro- problem? Thought that I-it was an alright p-plan in my opinion" Toby said, halting the story for a short time as he nor the hooded man knew what their masked associate done with the eyeless cannibal down in the clinic. "He s-s-seemed to have been h-harboring a lot of aggression t-towards you a-at the time...?"

"He well the both of us to be exactly precise here have been dealing with some private matters that had gotten him so worked up" Brian spoke up, itching at the back of his neck. He didn't want to reminisce the past. "Just get back to telling me how you came up with this so amazing revenge plan that you had to do to my partner now?"

The twitching proxy guiltily shrugs his shoulders back which received a soft crack from his aching bones. A story of childish and pitiful revenge was continued on as he remembers still standing in that enclosed room with Hoodie for some time with his thoughts. Easy to say it was pretty dang obvious that the youngest proxy was pissed to how he was treated by the others like some child. Hoodie in the past had a calming aura around him that can only do so much for him with words spoken to him like _'You need to calm down. He didn't mean it' not helping but to make him simmer with evil intentions. "Oh o-of course he does. Something has t-to be done about h-his asshole attitude..."_

_"Toby don't do anything I won't do? It may feel all nice in the beginning but later it won't be so enjoyable when there are consequences you be facing" Hoodie replied cautiously._

_"Y-yadda yadda. I kn-know I know. You don't have to be s-so uptight and nagging on me like him. Its j-just sometimes h-he gets me so mad" Toby saw himself making idiotic hand motions with one of his hands like a yapping alligator. An action needed to be done about it to tell the masked man that he was no longer a joke and more a legitimate proxy to be feared and be having complete respect. "I guess I'll s-see you later t-t-then..." The boy said who began twitching far more then he normally does as he exits the room. He didn't know what the hooded man did during the time when he made the life changing choice without a mere thought. The walk downstairs to the lowest floors to the mansion where each step got quieter and had an echo to it._

_The proxy now found himself in the basement behind some shelves that he could see past through to watch the conversation between ass face, Masky and Eyeless Jack. He barely heard all of it really since he could really care less to what the two men were rambling about to even care. Conversation got to be pretty important enough the proxy thought when hearing some small tidbits from their manor's main medic go off about something in his hand. Masky from the looks of it simply nodded to the eyeless man's endless words, clearly still irritated to what occurred earlier for him. 'He started it...' Toby rolled his eyes, '... He doesn't deserve to be so entitled...?'_

_"Ej. Are you sure this is going to work? What does it even do anyways?" Masky's calmer and collected voice then before replied to break Toby from his own little one in one conversation in his head. "You telling me that this little pink whatsoever liquid here you can call it that you made is to amplify one's mental yet more so physical state?" The young brunette had no clue, nothing at all that can tell him to what was going on in the cannibal's medical area that left him clueless._

_"Yes, that is what it is intended to do? I haven't gotten down to the finest result to it yet but I am getting close? Slende... Boss" Jack corrected himself in the nick of time, "Boss will surely be glad that this was able to work properly. He from what I can remember said he needed this thing to work for more physically adapted proxies and stuff. Ones that be able to handle more than the ordinary"_

_Toby can see the noticeable change in the masked man's appearance that almost told off to him that the other was a bit disappointed in the response. Whatever they were talking about shouldn't be so bad and more awesome than anything else from Toby's outlook to it. "More useful proxies are what he's trying to say, huh?" A hint of sadness and guilt came of Masky that got the peeping proxy to appear shocked to hear it. "... So, are there any side effects that the boss may need to worry about? Like if I can say off the top of my head here like death?" He retorts in a snarky, condescending way that got Jack squirming in his black sweatshirt._

_"There are a few drawbacks to it but nothing to really worry about for you...?"_

_"Eyeless Jack. I don't have all day here with you now. Got somewhere to go off to in a few hours so what are the drawbacks to it?"_

_The cannibal medic sighs as he looks up to the older proxy that crosses his hands over his chest in wait for the answers. "The side effects aren't per say bad as it can be better improved later on with more experiments and tests on it" He places what they been talking about back on the shelf, right in front of Toby's watching eyes that hadn't thankfully been caught by either man. "... The main are body temperatures will rise much, much higher than normal, speech will be slurred, incoherent thought process, and most noticeably to it that there will be an uncontrolled pike of sexual interest...?"_

_"What? That is..."_

_'What...?' Toby mouthed in what he had heard, was he not hearing it correctly but from Masky and what he looked by facial expression he was shockingly right. An idea popped up in his mind to the possibilities he can use that pink vial for and it surely make Masky regret all that he's done to him. A shaking hand was pulled out to grab at the small glass container though halted from grabbing it when the older proxy spoke up, "... That is quite the. Quite the most absurd side effects ever to come out of that thing, vial or whatever you made there? It's completely confusing to why he'd want this for...?" The masked man replied when pointing out to the vial still was held on the shelf. The hand took gripof it soon after when the two men kept going on with Masky blabbering on why the Slenderman would think this was such a great idea._

"... I d-didn't bother to hear the r-rest of w-what they were s-sp-speaking about as I g-got what I wanted and I t-thought it be the best p-paybacks of all times and I left. So, after that I t-t-took it with m-me during the assignment t-to the nearby city. W-when I know you g-guys weren't p-paying attention I-I slipped that pink liquid in Masky's water bottle. I didn't e-expect that all this w-will happen to y-you guys...?" Toby hastily said as he looks over at the hooded man to catch any form of emotions but he was met with nothing then eerily silence and a tense atmosphere. The young man shouldn't be so badly afraid by the man standing ahead him with arms crossed looking at him. "You're fine over there, Hoods...?" It was ought to be asked as nothing was going to be said between the two men as he a tiny bit fearful that his life was going to end right then and there by the hands of his orange hooded clad work partner.

The hooded man took a moment to process tale that was said to him in small quantities until he gathered them into a neat pile collected in his mental capacity,"...I'm fine, Toby though what you've done to us is quite unforgivable I have to say that right now" He replied almost coldly with no emotions that left the other man to shrink in size. "It was really, really an indescribable act from you..." A sigh left his lips that turned into a distinct frown, not usually suited to him. "...Yet for him and I, the mission, it was one of the most loving and intimate experience for us that for quite some time, we were at the time living without doing such things if you catch onto the drift to what I'm trying to say...? You may be acting at the moment like a so-called big shot that knows possibly everything to know but you're still a child to us and obviously acting like one with like, little to no self-control, everyone knows that here, you know yet don't understand as you never change unless you admit to it and your actions?" Ticking of the clock placed on the wall told him the time was way past the intended stay in the mansion with it being his day off. He had to leave and find Tim that ran off on him, out of anger, disgust, and most off fear toppling the other emotions.

Brian made a swift exit from the packed residence that left the twitching man to be left with the guilt that was well deserved on his part. The walk home wasn't as good as it was when walking to the mansion though with the other male being sick it wasn't that great to begin with when stomping past broken branches and leaves down the path. He didn't like to feel this way whatsoever, simmering anger over the predicament. A moment that was shared by them that was what he thought was supposed to be special had been from the start tampered by Toby which he had to get back to him in some way as punishment. Images of Tim drinking that tainted water bottle to quench the dying thirst returns in his memory as Brian if he only knew would've swatted that plastic container from his hands. Hours later he sooner than later saw the effects first hand taking place in the smaller man's outer appearance and most likely inner self.

_Sweat was encasing his poor mask wearing partner at the time which he had to ask that fateful question to him. "Hey Tim?" Worry was prominent on his face as he remembers scooting closer to the man that had to sit down on a stump once an old, full grown tree at some point before getting chopped down for personal use. Tim hadn't said anything to ease Brian's fearing expression as he wipes off another coat of disgusting sweat from his forehead. "You're fine over there? Don't look too good?" Brain asks again with his hand brushing against the mask wearing man's thick dark hair that was glued flat to his head._

_"Y-yeah...?" Tim hisses like he was in deep agony, "...I-I just don't feel too well, that's why. I d-don't know what the hell is going o-o-on...?" The masked male hunches over in his seat with arms wrapped around his midsection that must've felt like someone was continuing to stab him with a sharp knife. Brian didn't know what to do in the past but he can only pat the other on the knee in a sympathetic fashion. A hand that was Tim's held onto his, unwilling to have him pull away where he furrows his brows at Tim. "I f-f-feel... Feel sooo hot, Bri? I-I need you... NEED y-you to cease these a-awful painsss I-in my body?" Half lidded eyes were failing to keep focus on Brian as their surroundings were a big blur effect that was similar to water dripping down the glass to a window after a rainstorm. Something underneath the masked man's wonky exterior held a quivering soul that held back such raw feelings for his hooded partner which was mostly in surprise lust._

_"Um, are you sure that's going to exactly work for you?" He faintly reminisced asking him that with a raised eyebrow. Awkward was an understatement for himself to even say as his boyfriend wasn't the one to beg or even at all want sexual pleasure in such a public area or in any area. The forest though wasn't really booming with other people besides the two men right now with Toby deeper off finding twigs and logs to start a toasty fire. Alone they were with no annoying interruptions to disturb them as Tim crept near to his startled partner that with his own movements slinked back from him. "... Okay. I guess we're doing this, huh? Now, right now in the middle of the forest?" A shivering nod was the response given to him as grabby hands start to quickly tried to unbuckle his jeans. Brian was now bare of both his jeans and boxers that hanged down at his ankles. Cold air breezes past his naked lower half and at his cock that was half erected was grabbed a hold of by Tim. "Ugh... Tim? W-what... are you doing?!" He squawks when the masked man started to move up and down from tip down to his balls._

_"Shhh... Baby Bri, D-don't want Toby o-or anyone else to hear us, d-do you...? I-I'm just getting you prepared, t-that's all?"_

_The ecstasy was shooting up from all over him in every inch of his clenching body that was so overly stimulated by the mere stroking to his hardening member. "Okay... M-make this quick, okay? Toby su... surely come back any moment n-now with the fire wood..." Brian groans as he leaned back, propping himself on his arms as he looks over at Tim who seemed to wrapped up in what he was doing to actually listen to him. An eye roll was given to his emotionless masked partner that barely paid a lick of attention to what his thought was to the sudden situation. He kept his cool as the two needed this, craved it almost really to have some physical need from one another and it was happening now. The other proxy wasn't in their line of sight so maybe tops fifteen minutes can be given to the pair for their sexy times as they, he more so calls it._

_A hand that was quickening in pace on his now fully harden cock that spilt some small amounts of precome that began to drizzle down to the dirt ground. "G-gah Tim, why a-are you stopping...?" The hooded wearing man asked curiously as he was pushed backwards where he uncomfortably felt the pebbles scratch at his back. Brian understood what was going on next as he heard the unzipping of jeans ahead him, shallow breathing and trembling hands gripping onto his hips. "Alrighty, t-this is where we're going?" He said, expecting to be rammed into by the smaller man into he was raw and sore in the end but nothing entered inside his hole that was awaiting to be taken instead a thumb held onto his tip, roughly putting pressure on it. Painful it was when his cock that was filled to the brim with cum was denied relief._

_"I... I-I know what y-you're ex-expecting me to do t-to you but I'm not g-going to do that for you" Tim lazily rubs his thumb around the man's tip while every once in a while, loosening up to allow the other to spill little cum. A puppy dog whine embarrassingly escapes Brian's lips when trying to understand what the man crouched in front of him wanted or was only fucking with him and his harboring feelings over the matter. Jeans were way past down Tim's feet that it was flung off with one foot towards a nearby bush as he climbed over and on Brian. "I w-want you to fuck m-me? T-try something new, r-right? I've almost a-always been the top I-in this relationship most o-of the times... S-so let's try something n-new...?" That shocked Brian to what his partner said to him, of course they did switch in the usual positions to who was top and bottom which most often than not he was stuck with being below the grumpy man. A refreshing new start to this part to their ever changing relationship that had been an uphill battle._

_Tim barely gave his partner any time to react as he slid himself over with balled fists digging in the dirt, lifting his sweaty body up to where his ass felt the man's tip. Minutes later as quickly as it came Tim began to bob up and down on Brian's member like he was in a marathon to which he wanted to win first place in satisfying his partner. Surges of immense pleasure that was built up within him was coming out through the hard shell of his outer case. "D-do I feel goood? Do I f-feel tight then y-you ever imagine before?" High pitched voice mumbles out in a slurred response as Brian on the other hand gave a shake of the head, enjoying it was even if it was entirely confusing for his mind to think that he be in this predicament with Tim. Cum was threatening to explode in his soft inner casing that get him to be a blurting mess in reaction._

_"T-Tim! I'm coming?!" Brian squeakily cries out as he ran his fingers into his short sandy blond hair that was such a mess. Eyes that were glossy stares back at him with lustful intentions as the bobbing motions continued on until he got the satisfactory results. He surely delivered as his head arched back when his cock was starting to be engorged with cum that now shot out from him with a deep moan. "... G-gah... Oh god m-man..." A relief and exhausted stricken sigh entered the freezing air that enveloped the surroundings around the two men. The taller man between them slumped back as he tiredly observed his partner climb off him to lay down on the ground. "... Hell, I don't know what's wrong with you, right now but. But that was really freaking amazing..." He spoken up after the quietness enveloped them broke between his shock to their ordeal and Tim's heavy breathes for air. White, sticky, and clear fluids was still pouring out from his now limp cock and most likely was coming from Tim's stretched hole. A hum was what Tim could only say to him as the next half hour it was spent getting cleaned to their best efforts and changed back to their attire before Toby returns with the firewood. They can continue on back at their cabin since they heard those distracting footsteps and Toby's voice in the distance._

_"__O-oh... We're n-n-not done y-yet... So, m-much more w-when we get back h-home..."_

A sweet memory it was for them both but mostly for Brian as he shakes his head once seeing the cabin, home sweet home was right ahead him in the near distance that he can basically feel the warmth seeping into his strained body, soaking it in was what he needs right now. Brian wasn't going to get that, he knows that once he would meet the other man that was probably cooped up in their bedroom. Front door to the cabin was left ajar from Tim's rush to get in so he, himself didn't have to bend down to get the key under the welcome mat. "... Tim...? You in here?" He calls out fearfully as he felt like at any moment he be met with a very emotional man that no matter what is unable to control those feelings. "... Tim...?" His voice called out again when not receiving a response from the other man. The distinctive smell of cigarette smoke soon enters his nostrils that was clearly unexpected for him to smell when entering the cabin, Tim was indeed there in the residence doing his dirty little habit he should've quit all those years ago.


	3. Chapter 3

**Five-Six Weeks**

Brian kept repeating himself over and over again on repeat, sounding like a broken record as he closes the door behind him. Nothing came out of it, not even a simple response of _'Hey I'm in here'_ or something along the lines as he was meet with the deathly silence. The other male was there in the cabin he knew that for sure from that disgusting wretched stank of cigarette smoke enveloping into one big grayish cloud stuck floating near the ceiling to their cabin. An unhealthy habit he thought to himself even life threatening now since the pair was now dealing with another smaller life besides their own one. He coughs from the mere smell of it that was always been overpowering to his nostrils, giving him a reason too many to never liking the scent to the type of cigarettes Tim buys from a local dingy gas station.

The nearest gas station was miles away, a one hour walk or two so he was often left to do his thing when in patient wait for the shorter male's return with a dozen of those cheap packs. Brian hated being alone for the most part though he grew very accustomed to it with his line of duty that had him and the other proxies spending so much time with oneself with no other human interactions. It did grind his gears so much when Tim's usual long trip to the gas station for those hideous pack of smokes happened sometimes when they had their days off which that irks him even more as the breaks from work were a rarity. He'd says to the other man during those trips to return back home to the cabin as he knew that Tim was commonly hesitant to even come back home. A tell-tale sign that he kept the promise for Brian was the horrendous scent of smoke that's was what Tim smelt of often now that give him some to little comfort. He shakes his head as he was ought to find the other and to correct the issues they were dealt a bad hand to then providing the necessary care for his distraught boyfriend.

"I know you're in the cabin, Tim? Where are you? We need to talk about this?" Brian replied to which again his partner gave him little to no input. Smoke was quickly making him sick to the bottom of his stomach so he stumbled back to the door, opening it with a few windows for fresh air. "I can barely breathe in here? Know that? You know that shit is bad for you" The coughing male groans as he took in deep breathes outside before reentering the cabin for a second time to find the other man. Light colored eyes scanned the area as he took cautious steps that resulted in the wood boards to creak annoyingly beneath him. A one-worded response would've been nice but no, he wasn't getting one single thing from his now pregnant partner that hid somewhere in the cabin, god knows where that was at the moment.

The other male was obviously upset beyond belief and Brian only wanted to be there with him during it all as they had a special connection that lasted for years. A special connection that couldn't be severed no matter what, through thick and thin then the rocky bumps down the road of life that wasn't always fair to them. Tim and him didn't have a mediocre life until arriving to the mansion for the first time, working under the infamous being known as Slenderman or what they call boss and sir later on that made situations worsen then better. Reactions to that was hard to deal with in the first days mostly from Tim's end that had it horribly under their boss's iron grasp. An unknown creation to the human conception of humanity was contorted upon seeing the thing in the black suit and what to classify as abnormal or something such as that shown such little care about them.

Slenderman could care less about what had happened to them since he could always replace them within a snap of the bony finger with another messed up induvial. Sad sob stories or pitiful excuses weren't taken lightly by the creature that kept forcing the ones working under him with brute force. It was real messed up that something like that choice can be made rather easily so things like morality was tested multiple times. Morality was slowly yet surely driven out not only from the proxies but everyone back at the mansion by the being. The hooded proxy known as Hoodie by them was meant to be taken with no nonsense, top of the very ladder underneath his partner and of course his boss among the power ranks.

Proxies they were meant to be made the prime examples of perfection with no such things as imperfections like this particular condition that was dealt with by the two men which right now neither one of them was showing that outwardly to the watchful eyes to the world. The hooded man couldn't find it in himself to care about what other people say on him as a person right in front of his ear shot or most often behind his back yet for the other it was everything. He didn't remember why the man was being so incredibly worried to what people perceive of him. It was probably the times of hardships under their belt that made him the man he is now, an stern know it all asshole. Sad it was that people the sweatshirt wearing proxy knew was changing drastically in his very line of vision that he can't undo the changes.

"Tim. Baby, I know you're in he-?" Sounds that was barely audible was heard in his hearing that after a while he realized it was the quiet sobbing of Tim, never had he ever witnessed something like that with his partner. The ugly sobs were coming from their bedroom that he turned around to start walking towards the directions of the noise. Door was opened up to their room, a safe sanctuary from the constant troubles. Brian was bewildered immediately afterwards that the shorter male wasn't in there from what he'd expected from the sobs. "Where are you?" He mutters curiously, still in desperate search until he stood in front of a closet opened a crack that was an instant bingo to finding the man.

The man was scrunched up in a tight ball with knees up to his chest, rocking back and forth on the carpeted floor. Brian was pitying the man so much that he didn't know if he should open the closet door to confront him. "... I-I can't d-do this... I c-can't do this. I j-just can't do this" Sobs became quieter as it felt like Tim knew he was outside at the opposite side to the closet door, wiping away the tears from his face. He neither Brian said anything to the other for the longest times. Hands that rubbed his eyes dry from the tears helped lift him up from the floor into a sitting position. Tim's dark midnight eyes stared blurrily up at Brian with tiny droplets of tears still stinging in his eyes. "... I-I can't do this. I just can't..." He croaked out with breathless gasps as he lowers his head to the floor in shame that he was such a broken man.

All the while back at the manor with Toby had presumed on with his day after the harsh as heck scolding received to him by his hooded higher up that gave him no good luck nor the easy treatment. Whole thing wasn't expected from the older silent man that kept to himself but with his masked partner having him show some emotion. It was quite hard though since he never thought that the other two proxies be so upset over a practical joke that gone horribly wrong then what was expected for it. The brunette should've realized it was entirely wrong to do from the get go and could've known better that there were would be almost traumatizing consequences to his actions for some horrible revenge scheme. Something like that should be taken care of that he knew that as an unwanted pregnancy can be well, terminated to that was called abortion if the parents didn't want the child. Dark subject for the young proxy to think up of since he had no right to get deep in the personal lives of other people like that but he was the one to cause it.

_'Toby. Take your nosy self out of this. You already did enough as is. What a screw up you are'_ Some might say to him and to that he never listens to them as why would he to begin with, he was his own person to make his own choices even if he slightly and he meant tiny bit cared on other's opinion and thoughts to make him feel better. Okay, maybe the big man upstairs in his tight squeezed office may say something about it though Toby wasn't worried too much on the topic on the faceless man. Slender or mostly Slendy as Toby likes to call the faceless being to Masky's annoyed disapproval wouldn't mind the tiny screw up. The boss man working away on the second floor with god knows what he'll might say for his fellow two proxies, Hoodie and Masky that they should get rid of the child anyways in one form or another and they won't be turned against the idea in disgusted horror. He heard what the masked man yelled about back in the clinic that he didn't want an unwanted child.

The proxy wouldn't admit it but how Masky reacted was a huge shocker yet with what he knows to the man's personality it shouldn't be so to him. Masky was seen as the grumpier and easily agitated one out of their group of proxies that took in no shit from Toby's antics that often got all of them in some sort of serious trouble. He did watch on as the man had stormed out of Ej's clinic with not an angry expression and instead one that was facing serious conflicts. Toby where the more he thought about it he was getting more worried than anything else from the situation and what may come from it. A set of worrisome memories were jumbling up in Toby that he was staring off in the distance that halted his work.

"Hey Toby? You okay over there? Staring off into space again?" A gruff yet had a touch of soft feminine voice called out to him. The proxy shivered back in to reality going on around him with a bone cracking twitch in his neck. He looks over to the one who called out to him and he soon was startled by the woman with a clock in her eye staring back at him. "I haven't seen you act this way for a long time? I don't even think I've seen that from you either its been like that since forever or something is bad so what's the deal?" The woman spoken with a raised brow when she observed how the man in front of her only shook his head. A gal such as her would be the one that he liked to have under his arm that be wrapped around her protectively from any man that would try to use her like an object but that wasn't coming any time soon.

"Y-yeah its n-nothing... I-I'm fine..." Toby replied. "... Bored, that's a-all..."

Clockwork didn't buy it one single bit, "What is it actually? You can't hide things from me? You're a horrible liar and everybody knows that here"

"U-ugh... Clocky. I-I'm fine, really s-so don't w-worry about it?"

"... I can always beat the living shit and truth from your limp, non feeling body if you're going to be a secretive ass with me?" She said like she'd really meant her word when cracking his bandaged knuckles in front of Toby that got him to nervously gulp from her deadly threat. The woman has been known to work out excessively to which she was made out of pure muscle that can beat the crap out of him any day of the week. "So, tell me what's the matter. We're supposed to be friends here, right?"

"W-we are..." Toby rubs the back of his neck, "... I-it's just t-that I d-did something I s-shouldn't have done? Something "r-real stupid... Hesitantly he stares back over at Clockwork that took instant notice to the cange of facial expression. The proxy hated to admit to things that he was wrong when things didn't exactly go his way. "Makes m-me kinda guilty about I-it..." He shrugs nonchalantly from what he said, trying to act cool in front of the woman that made him instead appear like a total nerd.

Clockwork now was getting awfully curious to what the proxy was trying to say to her that seemed to put up a front with her like he was some big man. A forced cough was made to get the other to continue on with what he was so guilty about that was troubling him. "C'mon. Tell me, big shot?" She spoken with her arms crossed over her chest that only got Toby whom twitches more than what was normal for the guy. "... Okay. Try to calm down" To the best of her ability she made a calming hand gesture to get the male to speak up with her like a friend. She wasn't the best at comforting others as she often ends up making things worse with her resting 'bitchy' face and sometimes rude words from her uncaring voice.

"... I-I might've m-made a horrible decision o-on my part a-and heh, it involves Hoodie a-and Masky mostly the mask douche b-bag" The proxy kept rubbing up and down at his neck whilst keeping up the worried tremors. "I d-didn't t-th-think that something s-so serious would've h-happened to the guy? I-it wasn't to b-be like this as its w-was only m-meant to be a joke to t-the asshat?" Fingers twirled around themselves with his shifted dull brown eyes down to the ground covered in a dull, bland carpet. Toby swallowed as he stooped all that repetitive movements that wasn't helping him to tell her what was wrong with him. "I m-may have had the m-man drink something t-thaat he shouldn't have had that g-got him really, r-really sick aaand Ej told h-him the reason a-and it wasn't g-goood..." The look on Clocky's face knew what he wasn't going to end like he really hoped for when he blurted it out to her, "... I m-might've g-gotten the guy accidently knocked u-up and carrying a-an unwanted c-child...?!"

The woman stared at him like he was from another planet besides earth and hat was suspected as who would've believed him that he was the main cause to getting another guy pregnant. "What? That's... That's totally absurd, Toby. Men can't have babies that way. They sire and shit then the woman conceives them though it be hella humorous to see a man go through the trails of pregnancy?" She mused at the images until her common sense kicked in and stared intently at the man. "But back to the point now is that his can't happen and if it did then wow I never thought that you two like each other that way before? Wonder what Hoodie say about the news? He's so going to kick your ass so hard for 'knocking' up his boyfriend?" Laughter filled the living room the two were currently in that gotten louder as she saw the look of pure embarrassment wash over Toby's pale face.

"I-it's true, Natalie. Mask is r-really pregnant and uh, no I w-wasn't the one to 'do' that with that man... I-I'm way out of h-his league by the way I-if you got t-to know" Toby seemed revolted by it like there was no way in hell would he ever be under the sheets with such a man like the masked man, he had higher standards to date someone who was so secretive and an ass to him. The man was always in some type of rude attitude with the younger male with snarky remarks. "... He actually p-pregnant and I d-did that to him for some g-game, I d-didn't think that h-he end up I-in that predicament in the f-first place? I p-put in some magical whatever I-It was type shit f-from Ej's p-place and dropped I-it in his drink?" He said frantically when running his hands in his messy hair that shown the clear results to his actions.

"You can't actually be serious right? This isn't just you still playing some stupid trick on me now?" She said, starting to actually think the impossible was really possible and it got her eyes to widen in the shock with the slow head shake of the man. "Then if this is true what is Slender going to react about this when his right hand is pregnant?"

"I d-don't know? I. I a-am...I'm so screwed t-that you d-don't even know how b-bad?! W-what's g-going to happen when Slender f-finds this out?! He's g-going to kill me b-b-before Masky does?"

Clockwork sighs as she tried her hardest to calm the male down from causing a scene in front of everyone that was walking in and out of the mansion. The two were friends and she couldn't just let the other man to have a panic attack that tell everyone that something was wrong. It won't only be the death of Toby but her as well once everyone knows the truth blabbered in the open. "... It's going to be fine? I might have a hard time thinking that Masky is... carrying until I have proof but heck I believe it from you?" A soft hand pats gently at the proxy's tensed shoulders where with her other hand lifted up the man's head to look up at her bright green eye. Toby deeply sighs, relaxing his stiffening muscles with a faint blush on his cheeks. She didn't question it whatsoever then him just being upset when letting out a deep sigh herself when continuing to ease Toby's anxiety. "Everything be sorted out eventually about this whole crazy, out of this world ordeal? Now lets go hang out before your execution date, shall we?"

"H-he did what?! I'm going to kill that rat looking bastard when I get my fucking hands at his twig like throat?!" Tim yelled back as the other man told him how this had happened to them from the so helpful hands of Toby fucking Rogers. A not so big surprise to hear that malnourished twerp had a part to this horrible endeavor that made Tim absolutely sick to his stomach once again, causing him to rush to the bathroom. The hot acidic bile churning up within him was horribly burning up his strained throat when ducking his head in the toilet. Quick footsteps rushed to his side that knowingly was his boyfriend trying to get him to calm down when rubbing at his back. "...Argh..." The exasperated male coughs heavily when crossing his arms around his bloated midsection that he hated, more despised that he knew the truth to the pain.

"...You can't get so upset over this? We get through this together?" His boyfriend spoke, hastily rubbing at his back over and over again to calm down so both can take a moment to think this over with rational, clear thinking minds. He had no say to this as he didn't know what was going on in Tim's mind and body when he was roughly shoved away from the shivering man that weakly pushes away from the toilet. Brian did put him in this issue but had no way to fully understand the problem standing rigid in his vision. "Just calm down, okay? It isn't that bad...?" The male spoken again in that irritating calmed voice that the shorter man can't think to understand that he was so calm.

"... Brian, not that bad?! I-I. I'm trying to say that I don't want this?! Why would I want this?!" Tim shouted angrily at his boyfriend as he stormed out of the bathroom. He remained so sickly ill, tired and pissed during the process of rummaging in his jacket that was slumped over a chair's pockets for something, a small pack of thin white toxic sticks that comfort him. "I d-don't under the fuck stand how you're so calm about this whole entire dang mess we're in!" The item was found to which he swiftly pulled out and dug out one cigarette from the crumpled box that was shoved in the pockets. A smoke would do amazing wonders for his body that felt like it was literally in the pits of hell on fire. Hotness overwhelmed him too much that he almost toppled over to the floor but caught himself from doing it.

"You know you c-can't smoke?! You're pre-" The taller man exclaimed worryingly while trying to resist the urge to yank the smoke from Tim's shaking fingers.

"... Pregnant... I know that" Tim hisses that resulted in a bitter taste in his mouth. "I d-didn't want this thing. This p-pa-parasite in me so why should I, myself care about it?" The bitterness got him even sicker then he likes that got him hunched over the chair. Green in the face didn't suit him and with his free hand that didn't held onto the smoke dragged down at the skin. "You should be on MY side on this and don't you dare tell me that you want this?" He groans as he drops his hand to his side, searching for his lighter. An old, worn down lighter with the designs of red hearts with a pink background that had been given to him by the hooded man that right now discarded both the sweatshirt and the thick black cloth that hid his horrid facial expression.

"... I kind of do...? It can't be that bad to have a child from how long we've been together? It can't be reversed and I'll be with you for the entire thing?"

The newly founded pregnant man hisses through his clenched teeth that grinded them against one another upon hearing it. He did wanted to be a father eventually but not this way where he was the one carrying the thing and in their current environment that wasn't really baby proof or viewer friendly for any child or even a grown ass adult. It got him hyperventilating in the process with shaking hands moving up towards him, lighting up the cigarette with the lighter which he hopes it helps him. A rush of air was breezed across his face when he stares with wide eyes at the fallen smoke laying down at the ground in their kitchen. "Hey what the actual fuck, you asshat?! I was going to smoke that?!" He screamed loudly in his angry response when his hands fisting in tight fists to that he was close to punching someone.

"I just said you can't smoke moments ago? You. Are. Pregnant?! Why can't you try and calm down so we can talk about this?!"

"... I didn't w-want to be...?!" Tim's entire face turned a beet red with himself losing the urge to start crying again failing him, "W-why are you being so damn controlling all of a sudden and again now?!" Hands were ripping at his dark hair that he felt so much pain. "I c-can't handle it anymore with you?! I d-didn't want t-this at all, why c-can't you o-of a-all people understand this?!" Sentences were a slobbering mess where he wipes off the minuscules of drool from his lips. He was disgusting freak of nature that shouldn't be there living in the world and the other man was still wanting him with this parasitic child.

"Because I love you, that's why?! I'll be with you since the very end of this, no matter what?!" The man hovering over him was starting to lose his cool himself as Tim stumbled back away from him. A baby wasn't what they ought to have right now or ever as they were despicable people who take the lives of many others by the orders of a faceless man dressed in a fine suit, red tie in the shadows. Tim took his jacket from previously hanging on the chair, tossing it over his shoulders the zipping it up to the top. He saw the man scrunch up his face when he was doing this as he moved out the way towards the front door to the cabin. "Where are you going now once again!?" Brian asked as he followed suit, pressing his hand on the door keeping it shut from his boyfriend that was intending to walk out on him and their important conversation.

"I'm taking a walk so move out of the way or I make you" Tim mumbles as he moves away to get some space between Brian and him. A simple walk was what he needs as he nudges the other to get to the door that kept him from going outside to get some cool air. "I'm going out so please, let me do this for a moment...?" He begs when finally getting the door opened to that having him shivering by the freezing temperatures. He knows of a dirt path up ahead so ten minutes of walking was going to be okay with him if he was allowed to leave the cabin.

"Let me go with you? I don't want you doing anything stupid?" Brian said as he held onto his sleeve, stopping him in his tracks. A shaking of the head, no was given as he held tighter on the jacket sleeve now unwilling to let go of it. "We, I, neither of us can live without the other and it be heartbreaking if something were to happen?" He tried to keep the man from going out into the unforgiving woods as he was only met with a harsh glare from the other man. "Don't do this to me now? Just stay with me and we talk this over calmly?" It didn't work Tim had loosened himself from the tight grip on his jacket and taking that first step onto the damp grassy floor.

A storm was coming soon, a heavy one and he wouldn't want his boyfriend to be stuck in the rain when he was upset to then return home dripping wet. The storm won't come in for a few hours so his walk would be just fine to take all alone with his thoughts. "I'll be fine... So, stop worrying about me..." Tim grunts as he started to walk down that dirt path, leaving Brian to consider following him. The other male didn't however as he stood there by he opened door watching him with that ugly puppy dog eyes. He'll return home in a matter of time, not known when to pin point it, just whenever he felt like it as he didn't dare look past the other man past his shoulders.

Brian was so unsure what to do while he stood there by the doorway like an idiot, letting his emotional partner walk or more likely storm out of the cabin. A hissy fit they were having over this topic but he thought it needed to be talked over like adults and instead it ended up being similarly to two children having a tantrum. He can only close the door behind him, leaving it unlocked for the man's return to that he'll stay up for and make sure that everything was okay. The couch was a decent enough resting place for the tired man that slumped down on it that took up all the space from one end to the other side. The end result to it was Brian falling asleep on the comfy sofa cushions to the couch when trying to wait up for his partner.


	4. Chapter 4

**Five-Six Weeks**

Sleep wasn't given so easily to Brian as he tossed and turned on the couch where it grew highly uncomfortable every time he made a singular movement. The cushions gotten just as stiff as it would be if he was sleeping on a bed of rocks. Rocks that would be jagged, sharp to the point that he felt the edges to the cushions penetrating his body that was already sore. A feeling that he shouldn't be feeling right now as he had other things to be better feeling then horrible discomfort in his back. Brian sleepily groans while tossing over to his side for the billionth time in a row where it gave him nothing to work with except an irritating sting.

The sun soon came around that stirred the groggy man up from his unrested slumber that did nothing to ease his pain. A pain that wasn't per say physical but more emotionally damaging and that came from last night with Tim. He didn't even stay awake long enough to see if the other man returned home from their agreement. An argument that was neither ridiculously stupid but wasn't enough in his train of thought to get the other so worked up. It was probably that reasoning that got his partner acting that way with him from the get go, something like that wasn't normal for any male. Something like that was uncommon as it only happens to woman and not of the opposite gender, not supposed to be biologically possible but they were the living proof to its absurdness.

Brian cracks open his eyes with a long sigh when sitting himself up on the worn couch that he can vaguely remember was gotten from a dumpsite. The other man insisted that it couldn't be that bay, only needed a good scrubbing that's all he said to him and it had kind of worked even if there were a couple scratch marks and stains showing that it had much better days in the past. A good deal he supposes in the back corner to his mind as they weren't the richest people, they could barely afford anything other than the cheap food in vending machines and at that crappy gas station his partner went for smokes. Oh, how Brian despised that sense to uselessness that they wouldn't make it far back in normal society without the common feeling to having eyes watching the pair. Nothing can change that and he's gotten used to it though like earlier described the other man didn't take it laying down, putting such a fight against it which wasn't always physical more similarly snarky cynical, and depressing comments.

It seemed to what he can see outside the window was a bit later in the morning so he had to get up and off the stiff couch. The free day they had was long over by now and he couldn't pout there unless he or Tim wanted to get a mouthful from their boss. One hand gripped onto the arm to the couch, pushing himself up resulting in a loud pop coming from his back. He groaned in discomfort from the action as he trudges his feet against the floor towards the kitchen. A quick snack from one of the cupboards would help his churning stomach, he must've slept wrong on the couch the previous night. The man was starving as he didn't eat a single thing the day before with the issues from the checkup back in the mansion.

A snack that consisted nothing more than one of those Nutrional bar that tasted super bland in his mouth that was exceptionally dry. It was eaten anyways since there pretty much squat nothing in the kitchen at the moment, they haven't shopped for some time. Brian had to tell Tim that sometime or they find out the hard way when starvation kicks in but right now the other man was upset with him. The other had most likely returned home late in the night and locked himself in their bedroom to keep anyone even him out for some personal time alone. He understood that the man in the room wouldn't want to talk to him at the moment so he did so, not bothering Tim.

The wrappers to the revolting bar was thrown away in the bin sat next to the backdoor that lead to the yard behind their cabin. Brian sighs tiredly where exhaustion never really left him sadly when suffering the poor effects to the deprivation to the mind and body of proper sleep. Something that he never got enough of with nightmares tormenting him almost each night as he laid in their bed. The nightmares sometimes got worse, much worse that it be considered beyond nightmarish that he may need some serious counseling if he got back into normal society. It won't happen so he shan't be thinking such things his expressionless boss called out to him one day many ago.

_'__Normal life has no purpose for you anymore'_ His boss coldly whispered in his ear years ago that it was to no use to him feel that back in their world that they still want him. A world that wasn't going to be so forgiving to him or Tim if they so dare step foot on the greener grass on the other side of the fence. _'It won't be the same to when you two were last there roaming aimlessly with heads chopped off from the neck like some imbecile chickens'_ Fence that represented in Brian's eyes the immense hurdle it would have to take to just climb over it that prove to be the biggest difficulty. Tim tried countless times in the past to doing so though that ended up blowing up directly in the poor man's face. Times were that happened didn't end so pleasantly when their boss heard about the failed attempts, so many had it when the being found out them with his own sunken eye sockets.

Gone for hours, days or even weeks his mask wearing, grumpy partner would be when dealing with the harsh punishments for his countless misbehaviors. Slenderman would do such severe things to the other man that there needed no explanation to tell anyone about it, they already knew somewhat as Brian, himself didn't even want to remember or even talk about it. It wasn't good and he saw the after effects to what their boss done when the other man came returning home with a noticeable heavier limp to his step. The guilty feeling that he had building up on him washed off his shoulders down to his feet to melt away into nothingness. Horrible it felt for himself as many told he had no part unless he was involved in it to begin with where mostly he didn't really interfere with his partner's plans.

A knock on the front door to their cabin got Brian to stop thinking to what his memories had entailed was horribly morbid that left him to shiver uncontrollably for a moment. The feeling left as quickly as it did come when scooting the chair back from the small kitchen table. Sounds of that knocking gotten heavier with the more time he wasted getting ready to open the door. A wonder to who in the living hell be up this early in the morning to be such a bother him but it must've been important to an extent to disturb them. He tiredly walked over, placing a limp hand on the handle to the door to that he unlocked and turned it to the side.

The opened door revealed two people standing out on the front porch being the remaining proxies besides himself and Tim. One he knew all too well was Toby who had his eyes casted downwards at their welcome matt while the other person was someone he didn't see too often any time during his free time or on work hours. Kate to how he calls her when everyone uncreatively named her, Kate the chaser due to her way of attack that was built over the years to be stealth. She looked much more annoyed but how would you know what emotion came off the chick when she wears that disturbed mask that was worn twenty-four hours a day. The man knew her like the back of his hand almost like with every other proxy that worked under the Slenderman so he knew that she was not happy with him for whatever reason.

"You guys are beyond late. Like this isn't your free day off or something now?" Kate angrily scolded the man who only furrows his brows. "Boss is wondering where the fuck you guys are and he isn't happy as it is today with it"

"Shiii... Really I did...?" Brian winced through his teeth, biting back the curse that was on the very tip of his tongue as he knew something was off that day. He had overslept, not a great thing to do when you worked under the Slenderman who had a very stern time scrunch that everyone should abide to without question. The other man had always gotten him awake so early in the morning that he was pretty much used to it so basically, he had no such thing as an alarm clock. "... He should've woken me up by now for that...?" Tim should be in their room sleeping away upon returning back home from his walk after their very heated argument. So that means that he was left to his own devises to waking himself up for the day which in the end however failed miserably to doing it in the proper fashion.

The youngest out the three lifted his head up from staring blankly at the ground for some time, "... S-shouldn't Masky woken you u-up for that shiiit? He always d-done not just for you b-but for l-l-l. Like the rest of us?"

"Yeah about that... He should've but he's not exactly happy with me at the moment. I just guess this is an unneeded punishment to me from him?" A pretty petty one to be exact as this would be deemed rather unnecessary since both men. The only thing he could do was sigh from it when not wanting to be this late to their job that has a boss already not happy with either one of them as it is right now. Brian was so not ready to deal with the possible consequences that would arise due to this but it couldn't be that bad when he gets moving with the other man to the mansion.

"Another argument, huh?" Kate huffs deeply, "What was this one about so I can get your two asses going and make up to some shit like it?" An act of kindness that was not Brian decided as he was roughly shoved to the side by the shaggy woman. It made him wonder why the boss would want someone like her to begin with since she can be most often rude and brash with her actions that she deems fit to her. Some things such as that annoyed him way through the roof yet he mostly kept that his opinion about her that wasn't nice under wraps to not get a beaten by her hands. He watches her stomp over to his bedroom and she didn't do it so quietly at all when banging her hands that crunched up into fists at the door. "Tim?! I know you're in there, asshat!? Can't hide in your room forever!" Kate kept yelling until she would get a response from the other man on the other side to the door to which with all her yells there was nothing coming in return.

"Don't think you're going to get an answer back from him if you're yelling at him like that? He's not in the best of moods right now with what went on last night" Brian replied, walking over to where Kate stood in front of his bedroom door.

The woman glared back at him with an expression thankfully covered up by her dirt covered mask, "... Should've asked this earlier of you here" A hand went to tug at her sweatshirt strings when cracking her neck. "What the fuck is wrong with the guy that he has to lock himself in the bedroom with your dumb ass oversleeping on the couch?"  
It was going to be a long story that needed to be told to the young woman as she was going to find out one way or another later on and when she does if he didn't tell her first be a pain in the ass. The start to it was simple enough where Brain basically told her how Tim was sick for the past couple weeks, he decided to bring the man to Ej back in the mansion and that was how they found out about their special condition. A look of shocked surprise came from Kate as she clearly didn't expect such unlikely news such as that to be given which was understandable when someone heard it for the first time. She suddenly turns her pale blue eyes over to the ground where she stares down at her worn shoes that needed a good replacement. The look on her face shown something totally unlike her, a look of not coldness but rather an uncertain and confusion yet comforting nature.

"Oh... So that's why, huh...?" She lifted her head up to look at Brian. "... I would never think that Slender would get Ej to make such a thing? What will the use to that thing even be besides doing something such as this?"

An exasperated sigh leaves him when slowly nodding, "I really don't know? Boss never informed any of us about it? I guess it wasn't something we were really supposed to know or even use?" A potion was the cause to all this and he was still wrapping his mind over it like he couldn't understand one single bit to it. "But... it that isn't the point right now. I. We need to get Tim out of the stupid bedroom so we won't be further late t our job as it is" They needed to get ready to the day that they were already late to and he couldn't deal with the issues from last night interfering with their work. He walked over to the shut door where for another time took in a deep breath once getting himself ready to whatever upcoming issues can arise. The bedroom door appeared to be locked maybe from the opposite side he stood as he shakes at the handle. It wasn't budging one inch for him as he kept going at it until he had this door completely open so he can advise his partner to just forget about their predicament for a later time.

"Tim... C'mon now. Didn't you hear from Kate? We late. Well, more so late since they are both here to tell us about it" He tells the other staying in his room, acting like some overgrown child that was currently giving him the silent treatment. Toby who had stayed unusually silent throughout this went ahead to look about the cabin for really no good reason other than boredom. The youngest in the group thought it wouldn't be wise to speak up since he felt that he had a rather good part to what the other two men were dealing with as he was the main cause to it. So, back to him slowly dying from guilt, he stared about the cabin that was always a bore to him look like it was in such a disarray that was so unlike the masked proxy who was so uptight and collected about this sort of thing that he didn't notice a fallen note left on the floor. A curious look had him bend down where he was crouched over the particular item that somehow stood out from the rest of the mess.

"Hm? W-what is this?" Toby took it into his hand where he started to read it, slowly standing up and walking over to Brian. "... Um... H-hey. I. I think you s-sh-should read this..." He tries to hand the crumpled paper over to the man that wasn't even glancing one second towards him. "... Y-you really n-need to r-read this... Its r-really important" A finger gently jabbed at the older man's side before he got a harsh look given by the man that felt more like his work associate then a friend at the moment.

"What? What is it now, Toby?" Brian sneered as a paper was shoved in his chest which left him to hiss in surprise over it, reading the paper as slowly as toby done when making sure to read every significant line.

_Dear Brian,_  
_I can't actually believe I'm writing this letter that almost cringy enough sounds like a farewell letter to you? Kind of makes me appear like a huge scumbag for anyone involved in this, huh though I always was one to pretty much anyone I ever meet but especially, you for breaking that promise to you? The one that I'll always return back to the cabin to meet you but this time around I won't come returning back to 'home' and I know this may've been the dumbest moves on my part but I'm got to do this for everyone's sake for the better then my own selfish self's needs and desires to not be cooped up in this loop of unhappiness all the time. I just can't do this anymore, the whole thing we're doing now as its driving me even more crazy then what I am and always was when first coming to this hell hole. It's not just this little mistake that is the main cause but you know what the others are so I don't have to list them off here since neither of us have all day here or the time._  
_Sincerely, Tim_

Tim couldn't have done this again, he just couldn't break that promise. Shit. They were in much deeper shit then he thought previously on the matter.

"What does it say?" Kate questioned him when glancing past his tensed shoulder to get a better look at it.

The man gulps down his concern though it came bubbling back up with some disgusting bile as well, "... Its. I-it's a note telling he ran off..."

"He what now?" Brows knitted together into one as she stood straight when looking back at Brian. "He wouldn't do something such as that, would he?"

"...He did once again..."

Toby quickly replies with his response. "He's d-done this sort o-of thing before?"

"Yes. It wouldn't be the first nor last time with him. I just thought he wouldn't do it and instead tried to talk it over with me"

"Sooo..." Kate fiddles with her thumbs, "... What are we going to tell Slender then about it? We can't really just go back there with one of us not there saying he ran off for what you said isn't the first time" Nothing came from Brian's end for the longest time as he tightly grips onto the note telling him of his partner's departure. It wasn't that he had little to say about it since he was on the opposite where he wanted to blurt out what he wanted to do with the situation with the other man. Words were plenty but he nor everyone else had the time to listen to his worried rambling on what this could lead for the two of them in the hands of their boss. The boss surely have his head perched on a wooden stake over this ordeal that went on carelessly once for the millionth and one time and he knew fully that the being was getting sick of it. A small part to him was sick of it all as well since at least he gotten used to working under the infamous Slenderman.

Brian after the longest wait imaginable went ahead to speaking up to the other two that waited for his response. "I'm still thinking myself on how I'm going to tell the boss how Tim ran off this time around after hearing that he's gotten knocked up by me" A hand that once held onto that note got the thin sheet of paper placed on to the table this time then the floor. "And I feel like he be a whole lot less forgiving when we tell him about it? He never really was that caring and understanding type the last dozen times before so from the start" Look on the boss's face even if not here with the last three proxies told him it wasn't going to one that was immensely pleased and giddy with the news. The last time he had to tell the suit wearing freak that Tim left or better described escaped it didn't end well with his partner yelling in distressed fear and boiling anger when being tugged by the foot towards the mansion. He hated watching that scene take place right in front of his very eyes and he tried fruitlessly that this wasn't the away to proceed with things, only having it met with deaf eyes by both men.

_'__We can't keep doing this forever, Tim'_

_'__We can. One of these times it will work my way and we'll be out of here for good. We never have to return'_

_'__It's not going to work. We're stuck here like forever. Why can't you understand that?'_

_'__... I don't get why you can't understand what I'm going through...'_

"... J-just how are w-we going to tell him though? Are w-we or is I-it just you who's g-going to tell him?" Toby interjected.

The part he hated the most was having to tell that thing in his office back at the old timey mansion that won't take the news so lightly. Brian knew that, Tim knew that but tried to resist, and everyone else fearfully obeyed it like it was the norm. It wasn't going to be easy like he can outwardly tell that thing that one of his proxies, nonetheless his right hand had gone off without a trace. Hell, he didn't know what to do as he was almost literally shitting in his pants knowing that only in a mere half an hour he would have to tell sooner than later. "... Tell him bluntly what happened and hope he won't have a cow over it" He sighs tiredly when taking a quick glance back at the note on the table where he saw some wording on the back.

"Yeah... You better get going on that, Brian. He's waiting for us to return with you guys and he does have some choice words over your lateness" Kate huffs when looking over to him and that sheet of paper. "Didn't you already read that? What else is there then Tim basically telling you he ran off on you for what? Like what does it add?"

Brian could only roll his eyes at the only woman's persistence to get their asses moving and he could understand with his extreme tardiness. "... Yeah. Yeah, I'm getting ready to leave" His voice trailed off when his gaze turns back to the paper, taking it back into his grip and turning it around so he can read the rest he supposedly missed the first time. Eyes squinted when carefully examining each and every single remaining word until he was finished reading it. The other two people gotten curious too and was peering over his shoulder, not minding the personal space thing but he paid it no mind like always as he kept reading the note. It was only then with as well as well a faint pink color washing over his cheeks that had told he was done.

_P.S._  
_I took out some cash out your wallet so you know that since you owed me from last time with y'know that time during our game of strip poker, you lil' cheater_

"That no good... Whatever. We... still need to talk to the boss about this unless he already knows..." It was then he knew that Tim wasn't planning on being dragged back by force this time around and was going to live his life as a free man. The man could tell by the reactions from the other's sickened faces especially Toby's who gagged at the image popping in his mind that the two older men had really played such a sexual game. A game that brought some enjoyable memories to Brian as he had watched gleefully to see his grumpy partner become so easily flustered when having to discard some article of clothing every time he lost. He would have to admit to cheating to only wanting to see the other male in the nude with dark eyes glazed in lust. "... Hey. I won in the end so don't give me that look" Toby still acted like a revolted child over it making an _'eww, that's so gross'_ sound with his thin lips. Brian only could sigh on it as he got himself lazily changed into the clothes from yesterday, ready to go out and tell their boss. A feeling of fear, anger, and just sadness came all at once as he exits the cabin with the other two where he knew that this was going to be one long day.


	5. Chapter 5

**Five- Six weeks**

_'__Just talk to your boss. Maybe he'll be more understanding then the last and the time before that and the time before that? This time may be a different outcome for you?'_ The man couldn't help to repeat that in his mind until he couldn't forget it. It didn't help like he imagined when receiving only a pounding headache from it in the end from thinking too hard. There was a reason to his immense worrying as his love just ran off to god knows where now leaving him alone to deal with the likely wrath of their boss. A being that didn't like to be out of control over his proxies especially his masked partner. Slenderman was that type not that to allow anyone to just get up and leave where he's wanting to keep a tight grip to the ones, he had a keen interest. Masky as he was called had easily caught onto their boss's eye right away that was unlike how it was with the rest where they got just mediocre attention.

Two of them had such an unsettling relationship with one another that Brian didn't know how to properly react to it. He was utterly confused to how the tall being that often loomed over them every second to their days was so unnaturally close to his partner. A thing between them was obviously complicated as every time he dared to ask his partner about it, he only got nothing in return then to having to deal with immense confusion over it with even more baffling questions that was left unanswered for him. A random guess was for it being that his long-term partner was the right hand so, he shouldn't be curious to the whys to the other man's involvement that was kept secretive to even the other proxies. It was strangely odd what was going on with the two of them that had only been whispered about in the shadows, some light hearted while others were darker that left him to shiver.

Small stories involving the slender being and his masked partner was unsettling as many said that they shared something much more personal than the usual, mundane boss employee relationship. They told to how their boss that lacked the normal human emotions had experimented with his favorite proxy to see how it would fair for him. Slenderman wasn't human, more of a distorted version to one so yeah what do you even expect from the guy normal human emotions. The hooded man didn't listen to it in all detail when knowing it was all made up dog shit where the other residents was only trying to smear his dear's good name in the gravely mud. No matter the story and how accurate and believable it may be to anyone that heard it he wasn't going to think of it a true.

True or to not be true the hooded proxy wasn't going to hear a single bit to the rumors that were said behind his back about the rare possibilities relating to his masked lover. All of it wasn't the truth anyways so why should he be worried about it since he was supposed to be the bigger person. The man needed to act more mature then the rest that would joke from the most insensitive and childish jokes that he couldn't help to roll his eyes at it. He on occasions depending on the people around him can take and make a joke himself that can be told by some young child. In old memories sake he heard the soft groans of his boyfriends or now ex-boyfriend, he wasn't sure right now that would get so easily annoyed by it with the stifled chuckles. Memories that now clouded his mind was interrupted by a hand waving in his hand that was Kate's telling him to focus and to not walk about in such a blind daze.

The forest was drab where nothing in it seemed to be lively, no wild life roaming around though there was a heavy rainstorm that occurred the previous night so that could be why. A pretty bad one it was and it surprised him that nothing such as fallen trees came from it but all was surprisingly normal. It was then from the end to the storm where he began to wonder how his partner was fairing at the moment. That in itself made Brian fret like a mother hen to where the other man even was that got him to shakily tug at the strings of his sweatshirt. Somewhere right now his partner that was carrying their child could be highly distressed, lost, and possibly worse hurt where there was no one there to help him.

"So... T-this wasn't his first t-time doing something l-like this?" Toby hesitantly asked him.

A question that got him to force a chuckle as he ran a hand through his hair, not that he was making a light teasing to the simple question or anything it was only because he didn't know how to respond. It wasn't ever going to be Tim's last time sadly to his disapproval as he felt like the other man was going to keep on doing this again and again until the end of his days on this earth. The only way it was going to make his partner quit this was by Slenderman taking a firmer approach that only involve more harm than actual help to the troubled man doing troublesome actions. Brian wouldn't be shocked too much when their boss goes on to decide that the other proxies aren't doing a good enough job to taking care of their fellow acquaintance and his instability where it be taken in the bony hands that are owned by the being. "No. No it isn't" He responds in a hushed tone as he lifts his head up from previously staring downwards at the ground to look up ahead at the trail.

"That kind of surprises me? I wouldn't never expected him to really run off like this and it not being his first time either" The only female in the group speaks out as she stares over at Brian who simply shrugged his shoulders. Tim always appeared to be somewhat content with being a proxy and even more so with being the boss's right hand by his snarky and know it all attitude. "He did look to be fine with working under him for all these years. I wouldn't have seen him doing this" Kate repeated herself almost again as she took the lead ahead from the other proxies as she turned sideways to squeeze past two trees that shared a trunk. In the corner of her eyes she saw the others doing the same too as they went past the unusually shaped trees. The mansion was only a few good couple minutes away but possibly for Brian it seemed to last forever yet quickly ending at the same time.

"Yeah... He always put up a really good mask when dealing with everyone else" Brian knew his partner really well over the years so it wasn't a shocker that the others were so surprised by Tim's habit of running away, "He only done so to keep it professional like he said he needed to be for his role as the boss's right hand. I guess what happened now just pushed him over his limits" It was quietly spoken up when knowing any moment, they all meet up with their boss that was impatiently waiting for his proxies. Slenderman upon their arrival wouldn't be the least bit approving that his more 'favored' proxy out the bunch has once again ran off on him to which he would only be left with only three. Hellfire would come from the unexpecting news that Brian and the other two was missing one important person. He didn't want to deal with that right now yet it was going to happen if he liked it or not. A deeper, more exhausted sigh leaves his lips where he finds himself glancing back at Toby who made such an annoying, high-pitched whistle that made a tune to some theme song to a show h couldn't figure out.

Toby being the youngest out of the four still had some of childish ways in him that even Brian known as being the usual calmest in the group that didn't get annoyed or angry often. This time was different however when glaring back at the young male that caught onto his pissed expression. "W-what? I'm n-not doing a-anything?" Quite doing the opposite with his mouth making popping noises. It looked like Toby didn't even care one single bit to what was even happening since none of this would've happened if the twitching man kept his petty revenge to himself then actually doing it when having no basic knowledge to the possible consequences. The older proxy just wanted to groan and say something to the other when those noises kept going to his immense annoyance.

"You are though. Don't say that you're not"

"B-but I haven't d-done anything" Toby said unbeknownst that he struck a never in the hooded male that stopped in his tracks in front of him. "Nothing a-at all?"

An eye can't be controlled when it twitches at the words that Toby didn't do anything when in actuality, he's done so much more that got Brian beyond mad. "You did do something so much more than just the stupid sounds you're making right now" If it was real and not in some cartoon you can see the smoke exiting Brian's ears as his anger levels were raising over its limits. The man was supposed to be a pretty lax individual so this was so unlike him when stepping close to the proxy up ahead to back up. "You got us in this mess and I'm surprised that before Tim freaking ran off, he didn't beat your ass to a bloody pulp for it?" He deeply growls in which was returned with Toby's terrified whimper. New found emotions that Brian was startled that he got himself there in the first place but he didn't have long to understand the new feeling for too long when the two men were interrupted by Kate who had stopped in between them.

"We're here..." Her voice telling him that got Brian to snap out of his angered state to stare wide eyed at the mansion where he stood at its front yard. "... So, if you can will you two stop this ridiculous argument for the time being for later on?" The walk indeed wasn't that long to his dismay when backing up from Toby that put in some safe space away from him. Brian a tiny wittle bit wanted the walk to have lasted longer that would've given him the hope to accidentally bumping into Tim in the middle of their walk to the mansion. It didn't occur that way as Tim was nowhere to be seen in his line of frantically searching vision. All that Brian felt now instead of anger was a nervous unease that once stepping inside the mansion wasn't going to help when being met terrified face of his own to nonexistent face to that was owned by his boss staring back at him.

"You're later than usual?" Slenderman sternly said when standing up straight that made the height difference all the more different from him and his proxies. The next thing to have been asked by him surely didn't need the hastily made response by his hooded proxy that trembled beneath him as he knew the answer. "And where is Masky if I may ask but maybe I already know the answer to that, yes?"

Run that was all that a distressed male in his predicament can do as he could no longer stay in the forest under the rule of some monstrous freak. A stupid plan from the get go but he had to do it for his and everyone else's sakes that do much better without him involved in their lives. It may be considered very sappy and cliché that he was doing this but c'mon he can do so much better then to live there and work under that faceless being's rule. The place he was running like there was no tomorrow was a nearby, not entirely nearby city that would make finding him a whole lot more difficult than usual. Yes, he had tried to run away before countless times but it never really worked in his favor where in the end he was dragged back to the mansion by brute force.

One time was when he first arrived to the mansion where then he was all alone to which he never felt so badly lonely. No one was there besides him and the faceless man known to him for years being there to show him his 'new' home that brought newly found emotions. All to it wasn't the best really, mostly of it was horrible when having to deal with it head on by himself as someone that was to serve to be a servant to the higher being. A right hand was what he was meant to be for his boss even if he was fighting and cursing throughout the strenuous process to becoming one, a proxy without flaws to that was prefect in the one lacking's eyes had for him. The whole thing was impossible to obtain that was later thought when dealing with the end results to the male's broken mind and physical state not being up to par.

It didn't mean that if the results were bad that the Slenderman can just fling his unnaturally length arms up in the air in a show of defeat, that thing kept going in different paths for his proxy that be by his side at all times. A test to many was done to show his proxy's resistance and a few good dozen failed in results while another one or two between every other failure, nothing was ever going to deter the twisted creature in his attempts to better his proxies. Experiments that the once but not now right-hand proxy had undergone was something he couldn't control besides being tied down to a medical table, unable to do anything as he watched helplessly wide eyed at the things done to him. None of the experiments for the first weeks hadn't changed anything for the most part until thankfully for his boss. The experiments for him as a proxy was nightmare fuel to the umpteenth degree.

The masked male, well once masked man as he wasn't going to ever return in his whole remaining lifetime, he had on the planet earth which hasn't been exactly nice to him as of yet. Life was never any real good to him even before coming to the mansion where that monstrous freak always gave him curve balls. He had to leave since everything that had identified him as a wretched proxy was left behind in the cabin lived with his partner. Not like he'd missed any of those items, why should he as it only brought him so many life changing issues in the past to possibly the future if he stayed in that mess. All those things made him feel like a puppet that the slender being he now used to work for made him wear like he didn't have his own taste of fashion. Hell, it wouldn't take him by total surprise if that thing tried to make him wear some suit too that be so old in the current time period that was the present day.

Tricks played were sickening in the once proxy's mind as it was absolutely mean spirted and never been played fairly whenever he was stick in the games. Games that included physical, verbal, and emotional trauma as well psychologically breaking one's mind. Proxies got it much rougher than the other residents in the mansion since they worked right underneath the stern eldritch. A right hand like he had it on a different level as he was always standing by that thing's side at all times got it worse in his opinion. Nothing had to be explained since he didn't want to think any further on the matter to his past with his boss that leave any listener sick to his stomach upon hearing the tales.

Slenderman wasn't human in any way, shape, or form so far from that which even presently got the man running away from his issues to tremble in fear over it. That thing he knew wasn't following him to which he shouldn't be worried yet there it was in the distance the overwhelming feeling of eyes watching him with sinister intentions. A quick glance, something not needed to be done but done anyways as he moves his head past his shoulders to see absolutely squat behind him then the usual oak and pine trees. Odd was it really to be so deathly terrified to something that wasn't even there to haunt him. That was one to many of his boss's tricks to make sure his proxies never stepped across perfected boundaries, ensuring them to be perfect and obedient like dogs.

It wasn't going to happen again anyways so, he wasn't going to be some side show freak going up for any more inhumane experiments. A freak show that was what he was right now to his displeasure and he couldn't do a dang thing about it. Maybe if he was lucky enough Ej might've not been able to do the procedure because it was just a touchy, sensitive topic at hand that was hard to discuss about especially when it was going to be done for a naturally born male with a forcibly attached uterus apart of him. Another idea to why the eyeless medic didn't want to do it could be that death was going to be inevitable to that would loom over the other's head that he accidentally killed a proxy, a right hand to the being to be more precise that would've had him murdered on the spot. He could always find somewhere else, a shady business in a dimly lit alleyway or somewhere in the neighboring city that wouldn't dare ask too many questions or simply shake their head in disbelief to why he was even there to begin with and needed the procedure done right away like it was urgent business. Some may raise a quizzical brow over it that even the lowly criminal does the same where he only gives them a good amount of cash to keep their mouths shut and quiet from it so they can get rid of this unneeded parasite inside him. The whole entire thing does him a lot of good anyways since how can he take care of some unwanted child that he didn't want in the first dang place.

A child, really in what way is he and Brian going to be able to raise one that would be always eating, whining, shitting and everything else that he would just find overly annoying. It would ruin everything else in his life that wasn't already shit but that wasn't a lot so he can only guess it wouldn't be much of a big change for him and what had happened already in his shitty life. Two men raising a baby where their usual environments that held within serial killers, rapists, and anything else In between that be listed not suitable to raise a child. The life he had right now though wasn't what some say is the best or ideal didn't need this baby to what he call it a parasite in any way. He was doing the right thing by merely disappearing out of sight to take care to an issue growing inside him in whatever way he can do with the little stuff he had on person.

The man was forced there against his will where he'd only wanted to live a peaceful life all alone without anything troubling him to the brink of absolute madness even if he felt like he already reached its tipping point. He wasn't going to have it no more now since he was basically running away from his problems that he didn't know how to deal with it that would most certainly come back to haunt him. Nightmares plagued him day in and out since the start to his work at the mansion so he can deal with the possible outcomes to his rebelling actions. This was going to be highly expected for him when going along with his plans on running away which wasn't going to go over well back 'home' for his fellow proxies. A shake of his head was quickly made when trying to forget to his worries and as well to stay awake for a little longer.

Exhaustion was creeping its head past the corner in on the male but he fought on as he wasn't going to quit just like that where he be easily found again by any passerby. Sure, enough he be weak in the knees and way too tired to put up a good, decent fight against anyone that saw him running past them. It would truly suck for him in all aspects, punishment worse than ever before that leave him to never forget any time soon that no matter what he can't escape what was built for him. The man didn't want that, at least not any more as he kept going and pushing his body to go over and above his usual limits. So, he wasn't exactly planning on returning even if it left a man back at the cabin that had his back through it all with a broken heart that he wouldn't know if it would ever heal or stay in a crackling state. A broken heart that needed that last single crack to just shatter into a million pieces and what he done made that happen for the other man.

Nothing he's would've or should've done will ever satisfy the other male any bit with the heartache as he was the sole cause to it. A plan to run away to not have to deal with the issues that've been dealt a bad hand to head on was what he decided be best that now he was left unsure if it was actually necessary for him. The Slenderman was going to have a fit the next morning once hearing the news that grown old for people that known him and his fruitless antics. Something will be done over his absence yet he didn't put any mind to where all his current thoughts were to get out of the forest to the city with no pitstops. City near him was only a good couple miles if he was running off into the right direction that in itself was hard to know since he was blinded by the tears in his eyes as well from the sky pouring down on him.

_'__No way in hell! C-can't! Can't give up now!?' _

A short, out of breath gasp came out of him as he attempted to keep running but his body was fighting against him, yelling to take a break for maybe tops a couple seconds. Sweat was streaming down from his pores to his feet. Feeling of his body beginning to shut down was coming too fast as he tried to push ahead down the path. It didn't help that the weather was getting awful by the second when it started to rain like never before, a heavy storm. The running was starting to become sluggish and much slower as every time he attempted to go faster his body would instead shoot up painful stings in his legs. Pains that was there were starting to go numb that in return left both his legs to act like wobbly jelly. Worthless jelly like he and before long his body completely shuts down and his legs buckle beneath him. He must've tripped over whatever it was that was made of metal to be able to fall face first into the ground, no longer after that not so graceful fall he let out a high-pitched yell as the sounds of something clamping shut and bones breaking filling the once quiet forest.


	6. Chapter 6

**5-6 weeks**

Sun slowly risen up to the sky where there was little to no cloud up in the bluish grey skies after having been gone for however long the storm was with its downpour hitting like stones or more so boulders. All that was there was just the dripping of small raindrops from the tallest of trees down to the falling from leaves that grew heavy from carrying it that on the ground made muddy puddles. Sounds of rather heavy, broken and shallow breathing broke the still silence that was similar to a wild animal that was badly injured in some horrible way. The whole thing was unnerving but that noise was way too far in the forest for anyone to properly hear it to distinguish what it may be that was making it. Nothing important anyways when going back to the topic at hand the forest was in a disarray that was such a shock. It would originally be a beautiful sight that would be tranquil and allow some to be easily relaxed by staring at it from afar and not within it.

The forest was meant to be peaceful from the outside like always for the most part however it wasn't now when taking a better look at it as the storm from last night had finally came to an end many hours ago left it in a destroyed mess and awfully slippery in a result to it. Weather was becoming chilly but already it was damp, cold and to top it off with how horrible it was now humid too where no one would want to deal with this so early in the morning. A few fallen tree branches were left scattered about on the grass here and there, small and big where anyone would have to be careful to whichever step, they take in the densely populated forest in order to not fall on to their faces. Someone may easily trip over their two left feet if there weren't careful enough and may in the process twist an ankle. Something like that happening would spell out as an instant doom for anyone that had the misfortune to be in the forest.

No one however rarely did enter the woods anyways so nothing had to be precisely worried about like a nasty fall in the mud or never being seen again by loved ones like friends and family. Stupidity had to be extremely high for one to even consider entering such a forbidden area that had so many wild, disturbing tales about how the abnormal to downright crazed creatures was living there that can leave some tough, know it all to be scared shitless and running up the hills for his mama. Monsters roamed in that neck of the woods which in itself with the unsettling atmosphere would immediately warn off any potential thrill seekers who was wanting to look for another place to get their next fill. It is going to be their last yet they like basic knowledge don't listen to it with being a bunch of idiotic morons which wasn't much of a surprise. People end up getting seriously hurt over their badly thought out mistakes that can easily get them killed in the scope of things.

Tales that many in a town that neighbored it heard way too many times to count anymore about the sudden disappearances, bloody horrifying murders, and the left overs to that kept happening to locals and anonymous strangers that left anyone terrified by merely hearing it. A surprise that no one in the profession of law enforcement or anything else that was similar to that hadn't stepped up to the plate and fixed that horrific mess that was the woods itself. No one knew for sure what was the exact plans they had as it was kept a secret to handling the issue at hand. Something needed to be done sooner or later with the troubling issue that never seem to ever disappear from anyone's line of sight or hearing. Law enforcement and any other job that took care of those important, life threatening dangers it however was taking their sweet time with it that no one anymore was further shocked by the incidents that came from the woods.

Some told to how young individuals that went through one or more traumatic experience in their lives caused them to become cold bloodied serial killers with none knowing such a thing as remorse in the slightest. It just shocked everyone that it was so dang easy for one person, mostly but not always was a child in early puberty to go from adorably sweet to change into something so opposite that was unnaturally dark and morbid. None other than the children that seem to be affected to the forest and what was within there were troubled adults with problems of their own with one quick swoop had them in a spiral downwards. Some disturbed the living hell out from people such as creatures in the darkest night that couldn't be so easily described by anything but not human and more monstrous. One being that terrified even the saints and the ones calling themselves hardcore for the feats of strength was one that many called by many names that involved its exaggerated human features to its lacking to even a face.

It was exactly why one man in particular thought to himself thought he never have to go there as he forced himself to not groan that he alongside his sister would have to get fire wood and food due to their shortage to both necessities. The man even if he was in his early thirties wouldn't put one part to himself in that dang forest, rather have to stay on the front porch to the barn house his small family and he lived in a remote part to an old country town. He liked it just there in his town very much so, not wanting to ever live anywhere else but at home with his tight knit family so close to him. No sudden changes will be tolerated by the adult who was quietly rocking back and forth in his ma's old wooden rocking chair. A place he can call his own almost where he didn't have to worry about anything outside the border to his town. The forest was no place he wanted to take a single step in though will do so however when having to gather supplies.

A few of the family's items that was used for hunting was out there in the forest for any unsuspecting prey that happen to grace it. Said items were a few regular cages covered in rust that was to catch smaller creatures with bigger ones like bear traps getting well ones that wouldn't fit into a cage. The man wouldn't be shocked if there wasn't anything in either or due to the nasty storm that made every living thing run for cover. He and his family did hope that at least something had been caught so they wouldn't be left hungry but yet again he won't be shocked by it if nothing came from it. Trip would be deemed pretty pointless to have even gone on for him as he would've wanted to stay sitting in the rocking chair on the porch. Sounds of a door creaking open behind him was heard by the man who was deep in thought to what may happen today if anything even happens that get him out the boring rut, he was currently stuck in seven days a week each and every single day in his usually miserable life.

Life for him for many others around the small town can say to be best described as mediocre at best. All that he'll do in the day was to keep to his grumpy, hard shell of himself where he didn't like to open up to anyone and it clearly shown by his piss poor attitude towards ones that wasn't his family. Family even then was a group of people that made the man just as equally keep quiet with the quick sarcastic bites that would be reprimanded by his elderly mother who wouldn't take his shit with a grain of salt. He'll be hit in the back of the head for it he knew that for sure so he would cut back for the ones he loves sake. It is difficult for him in the long run to bite down at his tongue however he can handle it like he does for everything else. So, he waited in his seat on the wooden rolling chair for whoever it may be that was leaving the barn house, he knew the answer to who it is by the clacking to high heels on the floor.

"Ready to head on out, Chuck?" He heard his sister call out to him where he lazily turned his head around to see her standing by at the doorway to their home. The time to start heading out to that awful and vast forest was now here where he wasn't pleased by when changing his line of vision down to the wood used for fire stacked in a pile set next to the door. He was not looking forward it being the prick he is would try to squirm his way from out the trip however his elderly mama inside would scold him like a child for his not so manly actions. It wasn't like he wanted to be labeled as some big baby that was supposed to be a full-grown man nearing his thirties not in his teen years. The forest was an overall intimidating place to have ever been known by any human being for centuries so he had a reason beyond many to why he hated it. "We need to get going before another dang storm comes by or worse anything else in that forest that may possibly hurt us really bad if we don't hurry on it and get our things for mama?"

"... Ready as I'll ever be..." The man spoke up rather hesitantly when standing up from the rocking chair set up on the porch. How was he or his sister going to deal with the although rare possibility that there be something that they never dealt with meeting up to them face to face. Nothing would greet them like his ma said to him countless times and if so, it would be wise to bring a weapon with them in case something happens during that conflict. He would always take with him a knife and a gun for that occasion of heading out to the forest. It was only the necessary precautions that he takes those specific items with him since he wasn't planning on getting murdered on any night in his entire lifespan especially in the forest where anything can happen to him or his family. A nightmare that would be that could come true that only ever haunted his dreams multiple times in a row without a break in sight to his displeasure. One that involved those nightmarish creatures in the night wandering with evil intentions deep within the forest.

"... So, how's your day going so far" His sister simply asked him to keep it not from going dull between them during their hopefully short trip to an area that was so humongous in size. She had already replied with her own answer to her much more interesting day before he even had the chance to figure out what to say in his response. "Mines been pretty fair at the moment being. My rowdy lil' girl y'know being the rambunctious one like always getting me all bone tired from her games of Cops and Indians" A light earthed chuckle left her full pinkish lips and in the conversation that turned quiet between her and her brother. The woman had her hands full with such a young child that knew how to have a wide variety of fun even when in the most boring towns around with nothing to do in her age range.

"It's been better before we had to go on this stupid trip to the dang forest?" Annoyance was prominent in his thick southern accent that had earned an annoyed grunt from his sister. The man knew he got on the older woman by only a few years, two to three to be exact nerves with how annoying he can be when he complains about either small or a little more bigger thing. It was just who he was a person someone that can easily grate on another's nerves most often by accident. His ma often told him to play nice and civil when in the company of others and also the rare possibility that he finds who his special someone is that was out there in the wide open world waiting for him. Ridiculous statement in his opinion since he would rather be alone for the rest of his life, better off anyways to working on the farm until old age.

"Hey. Keep a positive outlook on it? We may find something real interesting out there this time if we're lucky?" His sister tried to keep him up in high spirts over the supposedly short trip to the near forest a few miles but he wasn't looking forward to it. Sometimes she can grind his gears so much that he can't imagine there being anyone else that can do the same to even worse. "... Maybe we'll find you a date in there with the local wild life since I sure know you're aren't going to find anyone out in the town?" She went to jokingly nudge at her baby bro where he could only respond with a low, annoyed groan over it and its overall stupidity. One time he would laugh at her shitty jokes with a flushed face yet that was when he was a young child that adored and put his only sibling on a pedestal. He as well-liked nature however not so much if it involved being in a nearby proximity to the forest due to its evilness.

"Delanie... I am in no mood to be annoyed by you and your no-good jokes right now"

"C'mon. I'm only trying to lighten up the moood with you. I know how you are with the forest" Sometimes he knew she meant well yet his stubbornness made it difficult to open up and have a good laugh with her like old times. "But I assure you nothing ain't going to happen like the last time and the time before that and before that and..."

"Yeah. Yeah, I get it. Let's just get this thing all done and over with" He rolls his bright blue colored eyes when blankly staring up ahead at the gravel path. The trail seemed to last forever and holding onto an empty sack that were to hold the family's food stock that was captured in their traps. He knew nothing was going to really happen on the short trip to the forest but he had many past experiences with one in particular that didn't need to be told right now so he shouldn't be so cranky over it like some child. It was just that he wondered about the possible what ifs to what may or may not happen to him if he were to return to the woods that held so many untold secrets and dangers. A man that was so strapping and well built like he was can handle himself in a life or to the death fight if it were to come to that but it won't since they weren't going to be meeting with anyone so deep in the woods.

Who will they meet anyways he thought quietly to himself, "... Okay? We just get this over with and have it been entirely boring during the entire trip and I try to not complain it to you" Carefully steeping in the woods was the next thing he saw his sister and himself doing as he examines their close surroundings for anything peculiar in his vision. His eyes saw nothing that would immediately alert his attention when shuffling his way towards the nearest trap he had set up days previous to catch any wild animal. The first cage he checked up on didn't have anything to which he wasn't that badly shocked by when standing upright. "Maybe the next one will have something?" Maybe catching something good was a big jump whilst they go back to the next trap with the many others to see that once again on repeat there wasn't anything within to both great disappointments. A stock of food was quickly dwindling where the small family needed it desperately where the man was brushing his hand through his chestnut brown hair.

"There got to be something in one of these dang traps..." The man sighs in exasperation and a high amount of annoyance.

"... We didn't check that big as heck bear trap you that to set up so maybe there's at least something in there that the cages didn't?"

"I swear freakin' hope so? If not, I don't know what we'll do. It's the beginning of April yet we need more food than what the farm is providing us right now. Also, that bear trap was cheap with my wallet and it can easily catch something real big in that thing so please shut it with the complaints"

"Hey. I'm just saying that you didn't need to buy that bear trap for us? What will it even give us? A literal bear or something? Never had bear meat before and I hope it tastes good or else mama going to get your ass on your stupidity" He just rolled his eyes over it like he done all the time with people that got on his nerves, only buying that bear trap in his thought process was to help catch bigger animals for food. It wasn't a stupid idea he thought quietly yet he nor his rather small family really consisted to only his mother, his sister, niece and himself needed it in the first place as one wrong move someone stupid enough get caught in it. The man groaned tiredly when shifting back onto his feet to start walking towards the way too massive bear trap that most likely won't have anything in it. A bear trap like that one could get something but like the others he shouldn't get his hopes high on the matter as he took off towards it which he had to stupidly place it the furthest he has ever been in the forest. It did truly amaze him tenfold that he didn't have a panic attack when he was hauling the metal contraption that weighed a ton in his arms though he's done it to his amazement.

"Hey, I'm just wondering here but do you hear that? I don't know if it's just me or it's actually something?"

"Hm? I don't hear anything odd?"

She sounded almost terrified to the rare possibility that there was someone besides the sibling pair secretly roaming in camouflage through the woods, "Are you sure? It sounds like something or possibly... someone is groaning out there deep, deep in the woods a few miles away from us?" Someone was indeed out there where the man walked forward in front his older sister as a form of protection from any danger. The man trudges his boots past the mud that was close to keeping him stuck in place like quicksand if he wasn't safe with his movements. He did try to be smart in his sudden change of attitude that was once lackluster and uninterested in thee trip turn instantly to one of caution and wariness to what the source to the gurgling sound. It was coming awfully near where he had set up the bear trap weeks ago so he was bound to see something, anything caught up in its mechanical teeth that held back such raw strength that can break the bones and flesh to wandering animals. A branch from a tree holding leaves to many were annoying set up ahead which he carelessly shoves to the side.

"... What!? What the hell…?!"

"Chuck?! What is it?! Why are you yelling at?! Is something wro-?!" An arm stopped the woman from proceeding any further as she cocks her head over to try to see what got her brother in shock.

"T-the bear trap got something... that isn't exactly an animal at all..." The man sounded so shocked and actually scared to what he had just saw that left him still like a brick wall with mouth agape. A scene that he so didn't expect was right there in front of him where his bear trap set out had caught something that he didn't like it come to true besides only happening ever in his nightmares. It was something that left the man to stumbling back into his sister who was behind him confused to what he just saw when trying to peak over his shoulder. She had finally managed to push him to the side where she saw the reason why he wanted here behind him. "... It. Its more human..." He replied shakily when moving towards the woman that was making her way to the bear trap that held something or more so someone.

"... Oh my god. Chuck... Shit..."

The bear trap actually caught something in its metal coated in rust claws and it wasn't an animal like they thought but more human. It was a human, what was she even thinking that it could be some sort of wild life trapped in the claws yet from what she can see was acting more like one. Smells overwhelmed her nostrils that usually wasn't sensitive but with the blood and vomit scent clinging in the air that made her gag in a mere reaction to it. She tried to not faint from the smells or the scene itself as she builds up enough courage in her soul to walk up to the person that was close to basically perishing quickly in front of her eyes. A hand was raised and placed on the limp shoulder owned by the seriously injured where she tried to see if the other was still conscious or no longer on this planet and in a better place.

"What are you doing?! He's probably dead by now from the looks of it?!"

"We can't just leave the guy rotting here in your bear trap that you had to freaking buy because it was a 'good deal' and shit?!"

"And you don't think I don't know that?! I know we can't leave a guy here dying or already dead?! Also, my bear trap isn't shit by the damn way?! It was a very good deal in my eyes and I sure as hell didn't expect someone stupid enough to be in this here god-awful forest and get himself caught in it?!"

"Oh, shut up for a second?! I have to make sure he ain't dead on us now?!" She hissed when turning her attention away from her annoying nuisance of a brother to the victim trapped in the family's way too huge bear trap. "... Hey... S-sir?" Her voice was unnaturally quiet for even her usual joking, loud manner that got her brother all riled up. Now she wasn't in a joyful mood right at the time being when checking on the man laying down in the cold dirt floor. The man had not only one leg caught in the trap but both which couldn't be a good sight for anyone mostly for the one entrapped in it. "... Shiiit... Sir? You're fine...?" Not the best questions to ask from the grunts coming from her brother over it though it did get a reaction from the unconscious man who began to stir.

"... U-ugh... W. What... is g-going ooon...?" The man appeared to have gone through the ringer way before the bear trap had the chance to clamp down on his legs with such brute force. Dark thick brown hair the man had was drenched in dried up sweat and a sickly amount of dull crimson colored blood. Clothes the strange man wore was only gray baggy sweatpants and a tan winter jacket that clashed so much with one another that now was badly stained by said blood that he was losing so much of to the woman's horror. She needed to help the poor man in some way or another before he loses too much and she doesn't know how he didn't do this but to not go into shock over it. It was going to happen sadly sooner than later which she needed to do something really quick or she have blood on her hands.

"... What's your name, sir? We need to bring you back home with us so we can help you with your injuries. They are quite serious..." She replied that got her brother who had stayed back in caution over the scene.

"What are you thinking, Delanie?! We can't just bring him home with us like some stray dog with a broken leg and expect it to ne alright?! He's a human being we have don't know anything about?!"

"I know that but what can we do!? The nearest hospital around here is like two hours away from we are right now and he will die if he has to wait that long he be dead before the ambulance reaches us?!" She yelled back mostly out of fear and immense worry over their situation where a man's life was dangling between life and death in her hands. "... Ma was a nurse though retired for some time she'll know what to do with him so help me get the trap off him"

The man that stayed silent for the most part sprang back to life after feeling the razor-sharp teeth of the bear trap start to being pried off him. "... Its none o-of your business just g-get away from m-me?! You c-can't take me with you?! I won't a-allow it!? I!? I can't g-go back?! You c-can't make m-me...!?" He screamed at the sibling pair that stumbled back from him whilst he tried to get away where he dug his nails in the dirt. It was then where the other man known as Chuck finally took the bear trap off his legs that in result gushed out blood around him.

A hand kept the other down which was obvious that the man was becoming delirious from immense blood loss. "God the guy is a damn mess... I think you're right? We need to take him home for our ma to help..."

"Yeah, obviously..." She took off her button up shirt and torn up it into manageable pieces to wrap around the injured male's legs. It wasn't the best that they could do with what they were dealt but it had to do as she told her brother to help pick up the man. The walk was going to be a long one back to their home then it was to come in to the forest. An awkward glance back at their newfound 'capture' where she saw the mess the man was in from his ruffled hair and what was probably once impressive sideburns that stuck out in uneven chunks to clothes that was crumpled up in bodily liquids, a part of her was curious to why he was even here deep in the forest and what he was as a person before this disaster. "May I ask this once again? What's your name?" Question was asked once again to the stranger she and her brother was taking home where both wanted to know the other's name.

"...Tim..."


	7. Chapter 7

**5-6 weeks**

The walk back to the barn house was long, tense and overall awkward for the brother sister group that found themselves having to drag a man who was slowly losing consciousness. It was extremely terrifying for both but mostly for Delanie who kept up with gently slapping the man's puffy face to keep him awake and alert. Alertness was slowly dipping to where the male she had underneath her arm was no longer paying attention to his surroundings or to her voice. "C'mon stay with us" She spoke in a hushed voice when carefully helping the man stumbling over his feet over the fallen tree branches. A death in her arms would easily traumatize her badly to the point of not ever wanting to reenter the forest.

It wasn't her first time something died in her lifetime but this however was completely different for her as many in the past had been animals and not at all a human being. She loved her animals back at the farm very much yet she knew that death was always creeping past a corner for them since it was her job to butcher the helpless things for food and warmth. This situation was another thing all together she clearly didn't know what to do or even feel although she was dealing with conflicted thoughts to what will come of the man. Ma would know what to do about him as she was a nurse that dealt with probably much worse than this one right now even if it was the goriest, she had ever seen in her life. The barn was going to be in her line if sight soon she hopes would be much sooner instead of later for everyone especially the one she was helping with her brother carry home.

"... Man. He's not fairing too well" Her brother quietly replied in the silence, helping walk the man on the other side who's awfully near death's doorstep.

Delanie sighs tiredly as she stares back at him, "Obviously he isn't doing well. Jeeze I don't know if he's going to make it?"

"Stop worrying too much, sis. When we get him to ma, she knows what to do with him" Chuck gave almost a worried look over when checking around their perimeter. Maybe if the forest wasn't in such a disarray none of what had happened now wouldn't have even occurred for anyone. The delirious man soaked in revolting bodily liquids that Chuck and his sister were forced to carry on their shoulders all the way back that came from god knows where which had made him began to wonder if this was a good idea to take the man into their own home. It was obvious, quite so for anyone to know that the male passing in and out of consciousness was on the run from something that was possibly and most likely be quite serious. He didn't like the idea that he would be bringing this odd stranger into his home where his family stayed in to be safe from the outside world, not knowing what this guy can possibly do to all of them in their beds asleep.

"Then what she has to do for him and can do no more we try to find some way to get him to a hospital" An interruption came as the middle-aged woman sighs in exasperation, barely hearing the injured male shuffle a bit like he was becoming aware to his surroundings. "... Hey? Stay. Stay awake with us? We almost back home"

"A. A hospital...?" Finally, the male being out of it most of the time croaks something from his pale lips to her immense relief.

"Yes...? You will have to go to one eventually when we'll done with you? The nearest one to us is a two-hour drive or maybe hopefully less?"

A hospital, just that single word brought something out of the stranger who squirms in their grasp like he was trying to escape. Of course, due to his serious injuries he was crippled badly so any form of a fight had left him similarly to the blood heavily seeping from his wounds however it appeared he was still going to put one up against anyone. "I. I can't go to a hospital?! I j-just! Just can't do that?!" Choked gurgles it only was as somehow, he manages to get himself loosened up from the other's grasp that in result got him to topple backwards right in to the ground. Feet weakly dug themselves into the grovel ground where they already reached to a dusty street that would in no time lead all three home. The stranger didn't know that as he agonizingly turns onto his soft stomach, too soft in his opinion and tried to crawl away from the ones that would throw him back into a hospital like the people in his past.

Before he can go anywhere a foot stopped him where he laid that left him unable to move a muscle besides the occasional squirming underneath that was growing weak by the second and choking up of blood, "... Hey?! Hey, stop it right now or you're going to hurt yourself even more the you are right now?!"

"Chuck?! Please be careful with the guy now?! He's just panicking over the immense blood loss going on?!"

"I! I can understand with the pain but not with not wanting to go to a dang hospital to treat his stinkin' wounds?! ?!" Chuck yelled back in response, soon picking up the smaller male in a bridal manner. A surprised yelp leaves the man he was carrying in his arms that went stiff and acted upon him like a heavy weight. His sister stood there like she was watching a soldier carrying one of his brethren back to their home country where both would be equally horrifying to see someone get deathly hurt. "... Delanie, keep on moving!? We do not have the time to stand idly to this right now?!" He aggressively ordered the woman that shakes away from her thought to speedily trudge down the path. So many people across the way from the walk back to their home gave them all odd, disgusted and concerned expressions to what the sibling pair was dragging alongside them.

"Oh my!? What is that thing?!"

"Is that a human or some deformed looking animal?!"

"What the hell happened to that thi-guy?!"

The voices to the many other wandering locals that walked past were all muffled for the one that it was directed towards that was slowly losing conscious again for yet another time. It was a tough struggle for him to keep awake and to not let it override his dazed mind that within a few minutes his sight tried to focus to his new surroundings. A town was the new area around him that was like the stereotypical country place for any hick to live freely without worry. A mean thing to say really but the man didn't care as he shouldn't be here right now with a bunch of strangers who possibly know what he is as a man. He should still be running away from the ones that wanted to do harm to him and keep him a mere science experiment to be contorted into something inhumane.

"... Y-you. You. Let go of me...?!" He screams for anyone to hear where it wasn't a pretty sight, "... I w-won't allow you to t-take me back there again?! I! I'm fine, r-really…?!"

Chuck groans in immense irritation as he made his grip even tighter, not even bothering that his clothes were getting tainted by the blood and bodily liquids. It made his stomach disgustingly churn from the smells then down to how his appearance was getting ruined by the man. 'Be strong for a moment longer you're almost there' he says to himself in a low mummer when his sister and he made it down their street. The barn house was only a few more miles, less now as he made sure that they weren't wasting their time being slow. What would make it quicker was if the man he was to carry by himself wasn't fighting against every advance to helping him in this delicate position that was inching nearer to death that anyone would like for him.

The barn house where Chuck liked to keep his small family safe was going to be swiftly interrupted from its peaceful daily activities by this mess of a man in his arms. A pain in the rear end for him truly as he had better things to be doing right at the moment then to 'attempt' to take this seriously injured man back to HIS home where HIS family was in being safe from monstrous creatures in the forest. Torture absolutely it was that he was having to take this man inside their well-kept sanctuary for their elderly mother to help and heal his injuries that he done to himself out of stupidity for being in the forest. A forest that was forbidden for an obvious reason that this guy must've not heard before or didn't even cared enough when running through it like a blind mouse. "Hey man?! We're only trying to help you out here?! Couldn't have let you die now in MY beartrap?!" Chuck's patience was running way too thin his sister can tell that right off the bat where he was becoming dangerously close to dropping the man to the ground to simply die.

"Stop it with the damn bear trap, will you?! We have to take him to ma before he dies on us and I won't have yet another death hau-?!"

"L-leave me the f-fff- fuck alone?!" Stranger interjected his sister from what she was trying to scold her brother. "... You d-don't know who the fuck y-you're messing with?! I. I'm a freaking right-hand proxy t-to. To. To him...?!"

"Oh, will you just shut the hell up with your stinken' ramblings for one dang moment in your li-?!"

"Mommy? Uncle Chuckie? What's going on? Why is uncle Chuckie holding a man for? Who looks like he's hurt...?" A soft, childlike voice asked that caused the group to immediately stop in their tracks at the front door stop to the house. His sister stood there in horror for maybe about a millisecond before stumbling over and covering her young daughter's eyes that was not meant to see this atrocity. It was his sister's young daughter that was only around the ages of five years old who was looking up at them with horrified curiosity. Curly black hair was tightly brushed back into pigtails where her dark chocolate brown eyes looks over to the bleeding male in her uncle's strapping arms. The girl's lips were slightly parted like she was going to ask yet another question as her head cocks to the side. If he was a child too at her age, he would be confused to why his parents and family members were taking in someone that they didn't know all too well that was covered in crimson blood. Yet he couldn't find it in himself to picture him at her age at the moment as he turns his gaze back to the man squirming in his hold.

"... G-gah?! L-let me out you fucking country h-hick of a ma-?!"

A hand quickly covered up the screaming man's mouth to keep him quiet so no more expletives that make a priest blush by it all and it was worse for it to be heard by the young girl standing by the doorway. "Sweetie... You shouldn't be here... Let's get you back inside, okay? You don't need to be seeing this" Delanie sighs in exasperation, turning her head away from her brother and the man that now was finally doing what he should be doing earlier which was being quiet though it was due to a hand that was his own covering and muffling his angry squawking bird sounds. The woman laid a hand on her daughter's shoulder where she lead both herself and the girl inside the home to somewhere else that neither would see the crazed man's franticness. Blood was dripping down to which stained the wooden floorboards and as previously said his clothes that it be a pain later on to get it out. "... And Chuck take him to ma please she needs to see him right away" Soon both men were alone with Chuck holding onto the peculiar stranger drained to most of his blood spectrally still clinging to life that was in return drenched from head to toe.

"Sure, will do..." Chuck groans as he only wanted to take the man off his hands both literally and figuratively when stepping inside the cabin.

"... What's with all that racket out there?!" The voice of his mother loudly yelled out.

"Ma! No! Neither one of us got hurt this time! Just please come out now, ma. I need you! We... Well... now I need your medical assistance this instant!"

"D-did? Did one of you two got hurt? Please don't tell me that you or your sister go hurt during your trip in the forest again?!" Clanging to metal pans and the sort accidently dropped to the floor with what he can say is her thought to one of her two only children though adults now was badly hurt. She was an older woman in her early sixties with graying hair and many wrinkles to her face however when in an urgent situation like this very one that she was moving her short, stubby legs to the living room. Everything she was doing in the kitchen can be done at a later time as she came into something that was far more important than cooking a simple breakfast. This was nothing she seen for the longest times, someone in critical care where they were needing to her medical care right away. A sight for sore eyes were met as she saw exactly what her kids were yelling about in the front of their house.

"... It wasn't us that got hurt... It was this guy... He must've fallen and gotten trapped in my bear trap"

"Oh my... He doesn't look all too good at all..." She risen a hand up to her mouth.

"Yes. Yes, he doesn't look too good I know it already" Eyes tried not to roll but he did when laying the man that thankfully calmed down enough to be put onto the couch, "He needs you to treat up his wounds before he bleeds any more until well, he dies from it..."

"Got it and saw you rolling your eyes at me. Stop it" Tired, annoyed huff leaves Chuck that left her to only softly shake her head when staring down at the male brought to her so early in the day. Work to treating the male's wounds began as his mother although being much older who spent years in her decade with the same spunk and agility of someone half her age. The bandages made from the elder's daughter shirt were torn off the man's trembling legs that appeared to lose a great amount of feeling to when the bone crunching event happened that caused her to worry about it. No one should be losing this much blood and still be alive somehow that it had amazed her greatly when looking at the nasty deep marks that came from the bear trap on the stranger's legs. Eyes kept examining the wounds before turning her attention towards her son standing there like a hawk at the man that wouldn't do a thing to her, "Chuck. Go get the first aid kit for me that I got in the closet, okay?"

The man done what was told and took no wasted time in getting that for his mother when shambling to the closet for the white box. A medical kit was instantly brought to her by her son that stayed silent watching her do her work that lasted a good hour and a half until she came to an end. She glances back to the stranger allowing his blood to soak onto the couch that she, herself didn't mind too much about it. It was an old couch that needed the replacement anyways so this was going to be the last time it be used when cutting the bandages off and having to painfully put the bones back in to place with a splint she had back in her nurse days for both legs. "... Hey. I got from my son that your name is Tim, right? How did this happen? Why were you in the forest for…?" She softly asked the man that whipped his head back to glare daggers at her though none of it bothered her at all.

"... W-why can't you guys... shut the fuck u-up and let me leave..." A pained growl that was meant to be threatening ended up to be a soft mewl that was just pathetic. "... I. I don't w-want to be here. I can't b-be here. I'm wasting m-my time. He'll come get m-me and. And..."

"Don't tell my ma to shut up, you freak. We could've left you there in that forest to die which I knew would've been much better then to bring your uptight kind here..."

"Watch your language! There is no need to say such things like that... You're talking about letting another human being to die in the forest..."

"Ugh, whatever..."

The woman's son afterwards kept his not so greatly choice words to himself as he crossed his hands over his puffed-out chest. Sometimes her son needs to take a chill pill to relax his stressed-out nerves but due to him being stubborn which came from her nonetheless it wouldn't be that easy. A noise that was mixed with a groan and a sigh didn't come from her but the man that had cursed her out moments ago. She wasn't upset with the stranger when he said those ungodly words to her as from appearances alone, he had every reason to not be in the best moods. Also, the mental instability the man had got the elder to shiver from it to which she was indeed unnerved by since none of them knew who he was and the first interactions with him didn't fare well.

"So, ma what are we going to do with the man now that you healed him...?" Her daughter asked softly, breaking the silence when returning back to moving her daughter to a bedroom to not see this scene. "... As we said multiple times before he doesn't look like he's in a good place and he won't go to a hospital for whatever reason... I don't know?"

"... He won't go to a hospital, huh?" That perplexed her to no end when gently stroking the stranger's matted hair from his face. A face that for once before this incident must've been well kept up for some reason such as for appearance and the man's own satisfaction yet now it looked pale an unkept that must've been out of his hands. "There might be a reason for that and he's been rambling off nonsense, right that neither you or your brother can understand?" A delirious mind that was being tortuously tormented by a higher power that no one in the room would possibly understand but maybe she knew the answer that wouldn't dare be questioned by anyone. She wouldn't pry into someone's personal life that she had no part in yet that doesn't mean anything to her when this man was in her house laying on her couch. "... He's staying here with us until he gets better..." It was so out the blue that her children especially her son seemed to be shocked by it.

"Ma, you cannot be serious about this? Can't we just y'know since he's doing okay find a way to put him somewhere else then right here in our house? Like a hotel or the hospital or hell somewhere else then here?" Chuck was obviously disgruntled by his mother's choices since for him it was pretty dang stupid in his opinion.

Delanie groans as she basically facepalmed at her brother's uncaring attitude, "... Chuck. I get that the man we brought to our home is a total stranger with an unknown, mysterious past and shit but the nearest hospital is two something hours away from where we live. What can we do else as we don't have any money in our pockets to put him into a hotel until he healed up?"

"No duh I know that? He looks like some homeless bum off the streets with no money to his name. Of course, he wouldn't be able to... Able to afford a hotel on his own" His sister kind of punched him in the gut on that one as neither his family or him would be able to afford to set up a hotel for the man.

Chuck and Delaine's elderly mother had enough and spoke up in a firm tone of voice that got the entire room to be quiet almost peacefully so with a hint of stiffness, "So... Back to the point here now is that he can stay with us for the time being. He's in no state to be doing much on his own"

"But ma we don't know who he is and what's he's capable of" Chuck tried to make his mother change her mind about this though she was stubborn in the head like him so it was no good use.

"He's not capable of doing much of anything right at the moment" She firmly replied, weakly pushing herself up from the floor where she was previously on her knees tending to the stranger's wounds. "He'll stay here until he gets better and he can help around here when in between so he wouldn't be a total nuisance in your eyes" A hand was placed on the arm of the couch when taking a quick glance back at her adult son. The stranger once he awakens again from his slumber would hopefully be in a better state of mind to possibly answering questions laid out for him. It would have to be answered as everyone in the close nit family was awfully curious to what was the peculiar stranger's story. She knows that it be surely an interesting one if this man sleeping on her couch, staining its cushions with his blood that now dried up were to pipe up a word to her or any of her children.

"But ma. We don't know who he is? How can we know if he's entirely safe to be arou-?"

She sighs, soon quickly leaving the living room to finish the breakfast she had discarded to the sidelines. "No buts now dear. He's staying here until he gets better and when I say so and that's from the looks of it is going to be a while"

"... I can't believe that ma wants to keep this guy here with us...?" Chuck resisted the urge to growl in disdain as he'll only get an annoyed look from his sister.

"I know but she was a nurse after all so he surely be best staying here"

The man rolled his eyes as he didn't think that this was the best plans in the world and thought that their elderly mother was slowly starting to lose it. "Sometimes I do wonder why she does what she does..." Why would his mother who should know better want to bring in this man that none of them known for too long yet knew enough that the guy be a complete asshole. It confused him greatly but he wasn't going to go against his mother's wishes to keep the man here in their home even if he wanted to kick the man's ass. This was going to be difficult to do so when staring back at the other man tossing and turning in his sleep though with the braced couldn't move too much during it. The endeavor won't last long even if Chuck felt like it lasts an entirety and more until the man heals enough where they can take his ass to a hospital where he should be from the start.

"I know you didn't want this, Chuck..."

"I didn't. All I wanted was to have one day to myself on my rocking chair minding my own business but nope he comes along and ruins everything..."

"Chuck... This man didn't do a thing really to receive that so please... try to be nice, okay?"

"Okay. I'll try for you" He grumpily agrees.

"Thank you. It nice to know under that rock-hard shell there's something real soft inside it"

Any conversation they had were interrupted when hearing a groggy voice from the man muttering a jumbled, incoherent sentence that made no sense to anyone. "... I. I d-don't want to b-b-be here..." The man silently croaks out when still struggling to regain and eventually lost consciousness. Words he spoke in echoed in the sibling pair's ears that sent shivers that resulted out of nowhere in particularly as the male kept talking in his slumber. "... N-no. Not a-at all. I n-need to run b-before he gets m-me..." A static sensation fills the other's head every time the male decided to open up his mouth to say what couldn't be understand by them. It haunted both so much that they decided to take an early exit from the living room to the kitchen for breakfast where their mother stares back at them confused by shocked expressions.


	8. Chapter 8

**Week 5-6**

The walk should've been longer then this short measly one where Brian hadn't enough time to really think of a good enough response. Fear was starting to sink in deep for him as he kept nervously tugging at the long, noodle like strings to his sweatshirt. It was a horrible, awfully traumatizing feeling to endure for anyone in his position as Brian gulped down again the slimy, thick knot in his constricted throat that made it so hard to breathe. Disgusted with himself he managed to swallow down the overwhelming fear and had sweated even more than any hard day at work can possibly give him with only a few hours where he was barely able to look at his boss's face or even at the other proxies for that matter for support during this tense moment. None of that was going to be given not by them being uncaring about him but out of worry for themselves if displaying such emotions.

'... Just. Just say something to him. Say that Tim left once... once again. It can't be that hard to do such a thing again, right...?' He thought quietly to himself pondering what he may even say to his boss that can be so intimidating all the time. "... He'll be understanding, right? Maybe hopefully won't settle down harshly on me? Oh god, shit I don't know...?'

Heart was speedily pounding hard and it was being done multiple times in a consistent row without a nearby stop in his chest that felt in his description way too tight for his personal liking and comfort. It was not a very pleasant feeling whatsoever for the hooded proxy who had to force himself to stare up with enough confidence and self-respect at his boss after the longest standoff silence between them to mankind. A boss like his that lacked any real human facial expression on a face showing absolutely nothing but only a mere blank canvas yet still shown an immensely mortifying presence to him that shook even the most tough guys down to heavily trembling on their knees. Nothing was spoken, not even a single word between anyone in the group as they all stood there in stiff silence at the front porch to the mansion that creaked ever so slightly when one of them Toby most likely deciding to shift onto another leg to support his weight. Brian was about inching close to having the worst panic attack imaginable in his entire short lifespan but barely so thankfully as he was wanting to speak in order to cut through the awkwardness but his boss had already beat him to the chance for the second time.

"... So, what you're trying to say is that he ran off once again, hm?" Slender asked in a gravely deep voice that made sure to send a tingle in each and every proxy that was there standing in front of him. That voice made Brian gulp down yet another lump stuck in the middle of his throat that resulted in him letting out a strained gurgle. "That's rather unfortunate, isn't it that he does that even when understanding the consequences to his actions wouldn't fair well for him?" Such words had the truth intermingled in it where Tim surely must've known that if he gotten caught there wasn't going to be a pretty picture in the aftermath to his brazen escape. Slenderman wasn't one that liked to lose control t any which one of his proxies like how Tim didn't want to lose himself and his own sense to being locked up in an escapable cage like a wild animal that would grow feral if not set free. It was a slow downhill for the other man the hoodie clad proxy loved immensely as this whole endeavor was getting out of hand in a rushed manner.

"...I-it. It is, sir..." He finally mumbles out shyly with his response. "... I just don't get why he'll want to do this again...?"

"And I thought I've told you, Hoodie previously that this could not happen again for what seems to be the millionth and one time?" It was like Brian was getting scolded similarly to a mutt doing his business on the floor or to be more pathetic sounding being an incompetent worker that couldn't even do his own job correct. A job that had him always keeping a close eye on his partner who made a bad habit over the past years when becoming a proxy to suddenly running away at any time to the boss's disapproval. In the end he felt like total dog shit that was turning sour to the nose and eyes since he couldn't even handle something that had to involve the one, he loved more than anything else in life. So, what was happening right now was very well deserved for him as he truly failed in his assigned job when nervously licking at his lips that badly dry to the constant picking and biting from the nerves getting at him. "You were supposed to keep him in check about this sort of thing? Not to have him run away from his duties as my right hand once again?" Bony pale white hands slowly rubbed at his temples that displayed his irritation at the subject.

"... I. I- We never really d-discussed this I-in full detail when w-we were walking back t-to the mansion? H-he's done t-this s-s-shit before?" Toby interjected with his curious question. On the other hand, Kate wanted to ask that too for their boss to answer though she was never the one to speak that often unless it was necessary for the situation.

"Yeah, What's the deal with that, sir? I would never think that Masky would do that y'know run off like this?" She however did ask it in her now usual calmer, almost monotone voice that wasn't laced with that much annoyance.

The slender being turned his attention back to his two other proxies that knew shouldn't have even asked that ridiculous question to begin with as they had no part to even ask. "Yes, this isn't his first time in doing such a distasteful act" Slender coldly replied with almost the same answer Brian gave the twitching male back at the dusty cabin a few good miles back deeper in the forest. Soon the front doors to the mansion creaks opened up for the group where Slenderman lead his remaining proxies behind him to his office that was up on the highest floor where no one dared to freely roam without care unless he had called out for precisely them for something. "I thought that the last time he done such a thing and I've done something in return about his rebellion he would've learned his lesson about doing a thing like that with me? He should've known that there's always going to be consequences to his actions by now" It wasn't put into much further detail to what he had possibly done or not done to his right-hand proxy as that was only going to ever be between him and the runaway male. Nothing else that as stated before and many times would always be between him and that no good proxy that's been a constant pain.

A few around the mansion would ask why the Slenderman want to keep someone like the masked man who the other proxies he keeps underneath him knew ran away often on his watch. It would however be easily considered inhumane to anyone to witness and far worse if anyone would have to go through it the punishments. The masked proxy he had for many years now as his supposed most loyal proxy should at least known better to run from his duties despite the warnings and consequences he heard and had to sadly endure on almost a daily basis in the past. Everyone else though saw what came from it by example of Masky who would force himself to trudge about the entire residence in excruciating pain afterwards from the disobedience act he played with the boss. Something that he would like to explain sternly to his proxies trailing up the two to three staircases that they had to walk up in order to reach their destination.

Once up to the top floor besides well the attic of course that was up above their heads was a long walk for the three mortals. "... W-why couldn't you just t-teleport us instead o-of having to walk up l-l-like five flights of stairs to get here to y-your office?" Toby annoyingly asked which in result got him hit harshly in the back of the head by a long, thin tendril. It was indeed stupid to ask the eldritch to help them up to the top floor when they could easily walk up the stairs. A cold day in hell that the being that loomed over them threateningly wouldn't openly help out unless it were to benefit him. "A-are. Are we going t-to talk about Masky in the office o-or something? Is t-that why we h-have to be all the way up here?" The youngest had to question it with their boss that only sighed deeply once opening the door to his office.

"Don't ask stupid questions, Toby. You know why we're going to his office and why he had us get Hoodie and Masky..." Kate whispered when scolding the brunette wearing his mouth guard crooked on his lean face. "... And while you're at it fix your mouth whatever it is before we get in there"

"O-okay... Thank y-you a-a-and sorry..." A silent apology was given to the woman who was the third to enter behind the exaggerated lanky being and the hooded male that stayed quiet with head lowered in shame. Upon all entering the vast office that was always seemed to be much what you will say empty and devoid to any color just like the rest of the mansion. Okay, maybe it wasn't entirely empty as there in the middle to the office stood a desk that was tall in height to be suited for the slender being to sit down without having to crouch uncomfortably to get the piles of many files and papers that were currently unknown to the proxies done in an orderly time. A book case sat a few feet away besides the desk that held numerous books that may be a good read but he nor anyone else wasn't allowed to read as it was in their boss's possession. Nothing was out and about carelessly when Brian observed his surroundings, he can never get himself situated to the point of being comfortable but he wasn't as bad like Tim who shakes a little every time, he stood inside these four walls that felt like it was trapping him in a small cage. The shaggy blond hair male understood it to an extent to why his lover for so many years didn't like to be in the same room with the being due to past experiences not talked between them.

Slender spoke up that caused the room not only the proxies to tremble but the office around them to shake by the mere echo to his voice alone, "Now let's go back right now to why I called Kate and Toby to get you here to my office, shall we?"

"... Because I was late to our job by heh, well a half hour to an hour late?" Brian strained out a forced chuckle past his lips as he tilted his head in confusion.

"Besides that, to which you most certainly are and should be expecting a punishment from that it's not the only reason why. Another reason is what I've recently learned of his unique condition from our manor's medic..."

The conversation starter that Brian was absolutely dreaded as he propped himself to stand upright in front of the being, he had to call a boss. It wasn't something he wouldn't have ever even think that this was what his life had become where he was fumbling with his fingers underneath the desk away from Slenderman's line of sight. How can anyone tell their nonhuman boss that their partner who was a cis male was now currently carrying a life within him then his own. An answer to it was that it wasn't the least bit easy when the hooded proxy heard Kate pop her knuckles to ease the numbing pain and saw Toby slumping down in his chair in an obvious sign of guilt. Brian felt all various different emotions that was running high within him as he bites down harshly at his bottom lips knowing that he needed to say something anything to not anger and annoy his boss.

"... Yeah... He. He didn't really react all that greatly to the news…" He sighs tiredly when reminiscing the argument, he had with Tim last night during a night resulting in a horrible rain storm. A storm that he at first seeing the light gray clouds up at the blue sky thought it only be a trickle here and there yet was proven wrong when during and after his exchange with Tim. "... He got all worked up, yelled some profanities and stormed out from the cabin we live..." The other man must be soaked to the bone in disgusting rain water that had him shivering and stinking like crazy in some unknown part in the forest. What a total nightmare that must be for the usual well-kept man that was going through possibly the worst imageable to a naturally born male. At the present time that is right there and now Brian can't be worrying so badly or he will never manage to get anything done in finding his lost partner.

"I've heard" Of course the Slenderman easily heard about it since his masked partner never had a good control over his emotions especially anger most of all, "And he further didn't react all that good when he done this? That's the problems now where he's an emotional wreck where he'll be able to blurt out anything about us to the ones outside this forest's perimeter to get his no-good self out of trouble"

Brian felt anger that his long-term partner was being described in not so good light yet before he could even say anything to defend the other man, he stopped himself from doing such a stupid act. The slender creature sitting down at his desk wouldn't take it lightly that another proxy was insulting his good name and person like that even if he wasn't a very great person in actuality. Everyone at the mansion or anyone that didn't live there instead somewhere else that still held connections to the unnatural knew fully well that his love really needed a chill pill and some anger management classes. Something the other man wouldn't take as stated multiple times from the man that 'I don't need to take the stupid classes or the medicine' and 'I'm better without it all so don't even worry about me, okay' that often-grated Brian's nerves to a point he wanted to lash out on the man but didn't do so because of undying love. That man Brian did truly care dearly for can often do that to people that wanted to help with his douchebag attitude even on the best days with the worse off days having nobody being able to interact with him.

"So, that only means we have to bring him back here at the mansion before he goes ahead and do that stupid shit to us?" Kate spoken up in her gruffness seeping out like it usually does when she speaks to anyone in particular.

"Y-yeah... I. I can't do well I-in prison? I w-won't make it out sane I-in there? Or e-even alive if w-worse?"

The franticness that came with Toby only brought in immense irritancy from Brian, "... Yeah, most likely you'll be some big, muscly guy's mindless squeeze toy? I won't be the least bit surprised by it?"

"Pffft... T-that's so not g-gonna be me..." It hit a sore spot in the twitching male's ego upon thinking of the twisted possibilities that may become reality if the law managed to get their hands onto him. "... That's gonna b-be you most likely...?" Prison wasn't a place where people like Toby or anyone to his stature that wasn't all that strong bodily wise who he was considered malnourished then actually skinny and short in height that wasn't the ideal for grown men. A mindless squeeze toy getting unwillingly fucked with force by a druggie meat head was what the hooded clad proxy told him to what he'll be if he was caught which would've been entirely his fault because he wouldn't leave things alone. No one in the mansion would be spared if they get caught and thrown away in captivity like they were a bunch of feral creatures. That made the youngest proxy sigh in return when slumping down further in his seat which he just wanted to crawl away from the office back to his room to die in guilt over his massive screw up.

"... It wouldn't going to be anyone if Toby here didn't start it by being an idiot with his revenge plan with Masky?" Kate bluntly pipes in, obviously she didn't want to be here either when scolding the said person to their problems at the moment.

"I d-didn't know this c-could've happened t-to him?" Toby tried to explain his reasonings to why he did what he had done to the masked man yet nobody was giving him the light of day. "H-he's always been an a-asshole to everyone with h-his angered and uncontrolled f-f-fits with everyone? Like a w-week or two ago he h-had a heated argument with Jeff a-and Lj over something s-so stupid?"

An eyeroll couldn't be held back from Brian who speaks up again to defend his sometimes but most often than not hot-headed lover from the awful criticism being given, "Yeah he can be a bit of an over the top asshole to you guys he's only doing his job from getting yourselves killed by some stupid as hell pranks you have set out on unsuspecting people?"

"N-none of our simple, easy g-going pranks wouldn't have ended b-b-bad I-if he didn't have to always s-step in and ruin t-them like h-he has to do all t-the time?"

"He doesn't ruin your 'fun' all the time. He only does it to make sure you guys as I said moments ago won't get hurt or worse killed because of your dumbass actions"

"... Please he isn't making s-sure we're safe a-at all? He o-only does so t-to get on Slender's g-good side while w-we get I-in trouble o-over it..." Toby annoyingly huffs with arms crossed over his chest like he was acting in similar ways to a young child having a petty, little temper tantrum that didn't mean anything.

It was what made the hooded man all the more pissed off that the other proxy was still ever so hung up about some ridiculous happening weeks ago. The younger male never got along with his mask wearing partner and they always seemed to have a vendetta over one another that he couldn't fully understand it. He just won't understood it among other things that his partner would keep secret from him that wasn't really helping either right now. So, to get rid to the thoughts that he was failing as a partner he tried his best to keep his own dignity as well the others by well losing it with Toby and his childish antics. "This wouldn't have happened if your retarded ass didn't get us in the fucking predicament to begin with because of your need to be on top?!" He yelled so loud that to gotten everyone by surprise as he wasn't one to raise his voice in anything especially anger to all emotions.

Right then the two began right afterwards Brian's outburst to bickering not like an old couple but more people who clearly wasn't getting alone at the moment. A low nonhuman hiss came through where it can only come from Slenderman that begrudgingly got a front row seats to the nasty display between his proxies. It only appears to be escalating more then he likes it normally to be when the one he calls Ticci Toby defensively stands up from the derogatory comment made from Hoodie with hands moving downwards to his belt that held his hatchets. Those sharp instruments weren't going to be used for good any time soon then to hack up one of his proxies so he had to sadly speak up to stop it. "Enough the two of you!?" The slender being projected his voice that boomed deeply making the four walls around them shake in immense displeasure and once everyone went silent, he then went on to proceed in a calmer tone that was just as terrifying or more so than when he yells when it came out of nowhere, "... Now let's get back to the topic at hand here once again, can we?"

"Okay sorry sir" Brian went to hastily apologize where he roughly nudges Toby to do the same thing. "You can go right ahead to what we were previously talking about with... Masky..."

"Yeah... S-sorry too..." The twitching proxy went to half ass with his own apology.

Slenderman nodded when going on ahead to continuing their conversation that was prolonged by the interruption, "Now with Masky I don't believe he'll last very long out there back in the real world"

"Huh? Why wouldn't Masky not last long out there?" Kate curiously asked, "He has the smarts, physical attributes to a point without adding the sudden um, condition he has now, and some stolen money from Hoodie so I would think he'll turn out to be rather fine out there if I say so?"

"You may say so but he wouldn't without being here near my presence guiding and helping him along the way to be the best he can be" It was entirely confusing for the three sitting ahead him in their chairs. The Slenderman replied with an exasperated sigh knowing that his so-called loyal proxies didn't understand him on a basic level. "Besides his condition that will take a toll on him eventually something else would only quicken that process much worse than it would originally be for him. Something that I thought the rest of you knew rather well by now when working underneath me for so long and by experience?" Slender folded his long, bony fingers over one another on his old wooden desk that squeaks from the light pressure placed on it. "Slender Sickness within the forest barriers or what they call it out there the Sickness, either or is common would be the one that get him crawling back here wheezing and coughing up blood asking to come back" Soon his remaining proxies were understanding where he was getting at by their shocked expressions. They should've known this as each and every single one of them had dealt with this sickness before joining the faceless being's reign.

"Oh... Oh no..." Brian mumbles in worry under his breath, "... I. I shouldn't be all that worried then, huh about him? When it hits, he'll have no other way but to only come back...?" Emotions such as relief yet worry washes over him when knowing that sometimes soon hopefully in the next day or two Tim would be stumbling his way back home to their cabin. He may be a touch sick from not only the morning sickness troubling his newly overly sensitive stomach and to add onto it as well is with the sickness from the separation from the boss that won't be too happy on his return. A return leaving Brian for sure to be a fretting mother hen smothering her children whom gotten lost in the forbidden forest. Something could happen or not that would leave his love, Tim to be in a critical stage unable to properly defend himself from any serious harm crossing his path. It wouldn't end well whatsoever Brian thought about it and that made him worry for the other man.

"He'll be fi- okay at best... It won't be long before he will come basically crawling back to the manor's doorstep all sickly and whatnot..."

What Slenderman said didn't really help the hooded proxy feel any better for the situation at hand involving his masked lover. "... That doesn't help me at all, sir. What if he doesn't come back? What else can we do then about it?"

"... Well, if he doesn't come back like I expect from him then it means he's either locked up somewhere in a mental hospital or dead?"

"D-dead...?" Toby was the one to squawk in a cracking, almost prepubescent that out in surprise.

All the proxies weren't going to believe that someone like Masky would ever end up like any of those cases. Dead or locked up was both extremely scary in their opinions as nothing can change the fact that a proxy just like them be six feet under the ground or be seen as a freak nutcase. Brian especially didn't like imagining such a mortifying idea that someone so close to him that he had spent years with end up in that predicament so it made him all the more determined to find his runaway love. Somewhere in the forest there got to be Tim hiding away from the prying eyes of the Slenderman trying to break free from its tight iron clasps. The other man couldn't have made it that far in one night and half a morning anyways in his delicate condition that left him terribly sick to the quite bloated gut.

"We at least need to find him before anything such as what you told happens to him? He is your right hand after all? You can't possible let him leave so easily" Brian quickly replied as he wanted to get into finding his partner before it be too late to do anything.

His boss only responded back with a shrug to the shoulders and a short sentence that irritated him, "He'll be fine, I say. In no time he will know that escaping his duties and me is futile. He as I know will find a way back home some way or another and when he does return, he be facing the consequences to his brash actions"

"... But sir, you got to listen to me on this one. He obviously isn't well off with his condition y'know that, right and if someone finds him everything on us will be let out in the open?" He tried to explain the reasonings that leaving it be won't help and that someone most likely him should find the proxy right away on the spot.

"As much as it is upsetting for you to bear with his sudden departure, he will be back one way or another. I know that for sure" Slenderman as he was known to many among other names appeared to be a complicated creature to say the least for Brian where he was beyond peeved on his proxy's disobedience yet not a full hour later doesn't give too much of a damn about it like he only lost a simple item that held no use to him. "... Know it all too well that in only a day or two from the Sickness alone he be back so don't ever question me..."

Brian can only hope that was the truth leaving the being's nonexistent mouth yet doubted on it in a small part in his mind. "... Okay sir. I guess he'll be back maybe tomorrow or the next day..."


	9. Chapter 9

**7 weeks April 11 **

_"O-oh... We're n-n-not done y-yet... So, m-much more w-when we get back h-home..."_

_That sentence told the shaggy blond hair male laying back against the dirt covered ground that this once short lived, somewhat erratic intimate moment shared between his dear love and him was yet to be over as it was far,_ _far from being even remotely done. Such a shocking surprise it was that they were actually going to go ahead to do the 'do' if caught onto that drift more so for that they hadn't been in that certain lovey dovey mood for so long then to top it off even better he was actually going to well top the other. A part to him is beyond ecstatic by this alone that they were trying something new and basically out of this world never been tried by either man. A few hastily made blinking motions were made as he hadn't really blinked at the current moment since he was so entranced at the dark-haired man sitting in front him slowly swaying back and forth in a lazily manner. It was almost like he was drunk off from something that they didn't know but it can only be chalked up to being filled with pent up lustful emotions than anything else._

_It didn't matter anyways as Brian wouldn't want to ever think that this was some drunken incident that had randomly occurred or something more absurdly else like for example the other had consumed something earlier to feel anything remotely good on and will most likely have this sexual occurrence be forgotten the next day. Something about this time however which isn't known to happen too commonly for the pair that was in the woods alone will be further shared as this was going to hopefully change their relationship for the better then what it usually does which was for the worse for both men. It needed to happen, ought to really as the blonde found himself craving this intimacy like the other man had and already acted up upon just moments ago. Hands that were his own slightly shook as he places his hands on the ground to push himself up when seeing off in the distance the twitchiest proxy coming near to them that if the younger to the bunch saw them in such a perverted manner would never let it down in any way._ _It would most certainly cause his short stature partner to be badly flustered knowing that he was caught in such a disgusting display in front of Toby so the hoodie clad man made sure that it would never happen when getting the other on his feet then back in his clothes in_ _an orderly manner. _

_"... Like what?"_ _He finally managed to speak up that got his lover shrugging_ _his_ _shoulders back in response to it. _

_"Y-you know what. You're n-not playing stupid with m-me, are you?_ _"_

_A breathy chuckle leaves his lips when nervously rubbing the back of his neck,_ _"... Should've_ _known that, heh?"_

_"... You shoulda? I-it's_ _kinda obvious…"_

_Awkwardness was prominent between the two men and then even more so when their comrade returned back with a handful of twigs to start the fire. A cozy fire was eventually made but before that the male in a confused stupor made it evident that he was aroused beyond so when rubbing up on his partner. The rubbing was intentional to set something off to which it did so when the youngest wasn't paying attention Brian gave a soft peck on the lips as he during so had secretly made a move on him. A move that was simple enough to an extent he thinks but it hides_ _the intentions from the motions that wanted more when rubbing coy circles on the other's crotch that had an obvious tightness to the jeans. Image alone got the proxy wearing the block cloth for a mask that masked his composure that was starting to break down to succumbing to the depravity._

_"... I. A-argh... Can't wait to h-have you inside me again..._ _Ah, I-it felt so good and n-now I feel ssso_ _empty without you_ _…"_

_Emptiness_ _that won't stay there for too much longer when Brian gets his hands now trembling in want all over the sweaty body. It was getting him hot and bothered that even when there was a third part alongside them,_ _he would surely fuck his masked partner raw without preparation to which be_ _done with no care_ _. Yet he wouldn't do that for the sake of his loved_ _partner and the other man that set the gathered sticks aflame by a match in his back pocket so he can patiently wait until the assignment_ _was fully completed and when the two of them were back home at their cabin_ _. All the while_ _he felt a smaller form keep going on to softly grinding against him that wasn't helping the matter that any moment he'll lose it with him_ _._ _The loss_ _of cool didn't come from anger though with the teasing_ _nature his love was doing was an attribute to it as he tried to keep it under control._

_"... C-c'mon... I f-feel so empty r-right now..._ _" His partner wearing that worn emotionless mask weakly begs with hands placed on the hips to stop the desperately_ _made bucks from occurring_ _even more needy_ _,_ _"... Hurry t-this up? Tell... F-fuck tell Toby t-to scram already...?"_

_Hard e_ _nough_ _was it to hear those soft_ _, whimpering begs in his ears yet harder when he had to stain himself to speak, "Babe... Sweets, just wait a little longer, okay?"_

_Reassurance was given to the short male sitting on a log beside him in a form of a gentle pat to the leg that sooner or later traveled up the thigh. The way he done it flabbergasted_ _him slightly since he needed to stay poise in all this instead, he was slowly letting himself squeeze the quivering muscle that was his partner's leg. His hand liked that feeling to it spasming and in result further done towards the other's slowly stiffening cock so that got a high-pitched_ _squeak from it that he absolutely relished from start to finish. A hushed whisper came from him that told to quieten down or Toby may be able to understand what was happening but he felt the other wanted it to occur just for the kicks. Soon enough both men wouldn't have to deal with being_ _unable to satisfy their long-awaited needs as this mission that was close to finishing always would come to an end._

_The small group after taking care to the assignment of course and the fire set out in the woods had returned back to the old time-y mansion to tell the faceless being to the accomplishment done in only a matter to a single day. Said assignment was nothing too important then the often person from outside the woods were getting too close to learning their existence that only unleased monsters to that Indvidual's gruesome death. In_ _an hour or was it two that neither Brian and Tim can really know for sure about the time as everything within and around them came to a standstill when tiredly exiting the office to their boss after completing a tedious conversation with the eldritch that told that this should never be a thing. The taller one to the two can see his love growing impatient as so was he though had a better control over it due to having a somewhat clearer mind then the other man beside him. A walk back to the cabin was painstakingly going to have to be made and the proxies left alone without their annoying handicap with them groaned at the mere thought to walking with a stiff one in between their legs. Brian wasn't going to have it surprisingly even being the most well-kept_ _patience that any man in the entire world._

_"... Instead of having to walk to the cabin with the issue we have maybe we can... Y'know_ _do 'it' here somewhere near the mansion to make it easier for both of us_ _...?" He carefully offered, only wanting to make it easier for his partner still sweating up a storm. _

_A slow nod was made by the smaller male going ahead to hunching over where Brian can actually see the hesitance in what he had told they should do then walking back home in pain. "... I'm not saying we're going to do it in front of everyone, Tim if that's what you're worried about...?" That would be something for the books or more likely the social media feeds that would come from everyone's cellphones that would tape every single deep that was their sexual endeavors. It would make Tim beyond pissed at him for days on end if he had done that to the guy who always had a good, better than anyone else here reputation to keep with everyone at this mansion that shouldn't matter in the blonde's_ _opinion. "... We can do it in a closet, one of the many bathrooms here, the shed out in the backyard or maybe in our old bedroom we used to have here before the cabin?" The last offer gave him many memories that some were good while others were traumatizing that it sent tingling shivers down his crooked spine. Past was in the past for he knows when turning his attention back to his love to see if an answer was going to be given to him._

_"... I. I wasn't worried a-about that, Bri_ _..._ _" Tim truthfully admits before shaking the 'truth serum' that his mind was racked with off when continuing_ _on,_ _"... O-our o-old bedroom b-by the w-way..."_

_"Then what were you worried about?" He asked in shear curiosity_ _._

_"... I'm o-only worried t-that it hurt a-a-a. And that I forget t-this moment w-with you...?"_

_"I make sure that you won't get hurt and that you won't forget"_

_Something such as this event about to go on would never be forgotten by the men talking to each other in the desolate hallway and Brian was going to make sure of it_ _. It won't be their normal occurrence_ _with them having some urges pent up then to just blindly getting over it like it was nothing then a useless task. An_ _undying fear set like the plague that always worried both but mostly Brian who thinks everything_ _in the relationship he has with the man before him would crumble and turn similarly_ _to the discarded_ _ash dusted off a cigarette_ _. Nothing like that can ever happen the more he thinks on it as he takes ahold of his love's jacket sleeve to lead the way to the old bedroom that was off deep down the hall_ _._ _The door to the bedroom that used to be theirs was opened up with a slam as Brian took the other man inside then shut it behind him in the process of undressing both clothes._

_"You're sure you want this, Tim? This be your first time bottoming to me ever?"_

_Little comfort was given when he was given just a simple shrug of the shoulders from the other man, "... Y-yeah, I want it. I. I f-feel so empty right n-now..."_

_"Okay No stepping back from this, kay...?" Brian replied in ways to comfort the nervousness that didn't come from the other man alone but him as well that felt the immense pressure. Quick enough he made his lover lay down on his back on the bed that spent years not being used creaks annoyingly loud when it felt the added weight. Light grayish colored eyes rolled in annoyance over it and Brian can only imagine how much louder that ear piercing creak can only be when they start. A feeling that was uncertainty and fear wash over him and he's hesitant to make that first fatal move on the other man that had spread his legs wide open for him. "... You sure you want this to go on? We can always switch positions and I can ride you...?" Gentle hands cup_ _the quivering, heavily panting male's face below him that was already getting so worked up over nothing but him sitting on his lap._

_"... I w-want this. I want y-you inside m-me, r-right now..." Tim reassured him with a lopsided smile though the gibberish and slurred speech._

_A lazily made thumbs up was soon given right afterwards to the shaggy blond-haired male that took it as a cue to get the love making process on the highway. Soon enough the boxers he worn all the while during their short conversation beforehand been tugged off his ankles then tossed to the desk beside the bed. Eventually a hand wrapped themselves around his cock where he started to rub from the tip down to his balls in quickly rushed manner before lining up to other man's tight entrance. A needed preparation stage would've been welcomed to the taller man between the two however it was too late to do so as the more he saw Tim giving him that craving look he couldn't wait that long. Quickly he made the first ever thrust that came to be so unexpected that not only he groans in surprise so doesn't his lover that arches his back when making such an inhumane noise from it._

_Deep craving grunts, moans, mewls and everything else in between was made by them as Brian raised the other's legs up above then placing them strategically on his shoulders. Careful hands of his helped keep the toned yet badly twitching muscles in place so they wouldn't fall to the sides and land on the bed in excruciating discomfort. More thrusts had gone from slow and steady to becoming_ _quicker and rougher where he now no longer cared if he wasn't that gentle anymore or even more ridiculous sounding that they forgot to bring protection since hey, they were both guys here. What can possibly happen anyways Brian quietly thought to himself w_ _ith a throaty chuckle w_ _hen going all the way inside like balls deep inside his partner. It felt all too good like earlier on in the woods but much, much better than that as his stiff cock swelled slightly in size like it was going to explode any mom_ _ent_ _._

_The feeling gave away as he lasted an hour and a half tops before releasing what some may exaggeratingly say buckets of that sticky white substance known as come inside his partner moaning out his name. A heavy sigh leaves his mouth that was agape when desperately_ _gasping out for air as he deeply breaths in when slowing down his once speedy thrusts that wanted to make sure his lover in this first-time_ _experience was loving every single second. Brian catches his heavy breathing pattern and calms down finally to an extent to makes himself look down at his panting partner that slowly sat up from the bed. A big dopey smile grew on his face when seeing that flushed look on the man while watching in amusement the other crawling on his hands and feet over to him._ _What his dear love who was stuck in some mysterious lustful stupor was planning to doing was left unsure to him as he scoots over until he hits the wall behind him with his back._

_"... Did I do okay? I didn't hurt you, right?"_

_Worry had to seep in at this time that had no placed_ _for it yet Tim seemed to not_ _be too badly bothered when climbing on his lap, "... N-no you didn't. I l-loved it actually a-and I want to rrride_ _y-you if you're u-up for it...?" _

_"Sure, I won't mind that at all..."_

_Brian moves his hands to be on each side of his partners way too hot body as he soon once again positions himself at the now loosened up entrance. A feeling of joy that is heart pounding in his chest over and over again telling him this should last an eternity_ _yet it couldn't when he saw little sparks of white light fade in the corners to his eyes. Light continued to fill his vision while barely hearing the voice to his love calling out something along the lines, I love you, so much to him. He was going to say the exact same thing in return due to the said love swelling up in his heart however time wasn't on his side when the blinding light obscured his vision._ _In the end Tim drinking whatever it was in that water bottle was a total mistake and to the dirty blonde's total dismay meant to only be a onetime thing._

_'_ _... Ugh, where are you Tim…?_ _'_

A hand swings to the side where the sound of a pillow splatting underneath the sleepy male waking up from his dream that should've lasted longer. It made him not sad though he was completely distraught, yes over the week-long disappearance but pissed off to which that newfound emotion was directed at both his boss and the man he really did love. The cabin, mansion, everywhere like the opposite side to the bed he's currently laying on like a sack of potatoes felt so empty without Tim's presence with him. Something had to be done about this and to his displeasure nothing was ever been accomplished in getting the other back home to the mansion. Outside world as their faceless boss wearing an all-black suit said to them was badly unforgiving and wouldn't want their kind anymore that done so many 'inhuman' acts.

_'... Where can you be anyways…?'_

That question has been asked so many times that he found it growing old and being now pointless to sometimes even ask. Often enough he would ask the eldritch he called a boss on the matter to which gave him nothing but the slow decent of hope. _'... He'll be back. I know of it. The Sickness will get at him eventually...'_ It's been a fully dang week though the proxy silently thinks as he groggily pushes himself up and out of bed. A creak noise came from his departure when flinging his legs off then soon got dressed in his usual attire while taking occasional glances back at the effeminate mask placed on the bedside table. Pangs of guilt and wrath fill his chest unlike the quickness to the pounding in his dream which made him once feel so happy.

_'... You can't be that far out there and be okay from the Sickness...?'_

Now he blankly stares out the window towards the forest where it was a no man's land and if entering no one would ever return back to their loved ones in one piece. The hooded male knew that from past experiences before ever becoming a proxy where he lived a normal, happy life with close friends and family. Now with the present date recently he had only the other man by his side at all times no longer with him that pulled harshly at his heart strings. Loneliness was creeping in beside his side to which he despised that awful feeling so much that he had begun clenching his hands into tight fists. Fists that soon made instant contact with one of the trees after grumpily taking his leave from his cabin towards the mansion that bled from the cuts and bruises on his pasty white knuckles.

_'... I. I need you back home with me...'_ Heavy, quick breathing tried to calm down as the pain from his hand that relaxed from the pain surging though the rest of his arm, _'... Not out god knows where I can't find you...'_

Separation anxiety; fear or distress happening to not only children but as well with adults too when separating from their house or close nit people that they shared such a deep connection with for the longest times. It was happening right then and there to the usual calming man in particular most of all that left him unable to even fall asleep at night in peace. If so, he would only agonizingly dream to having the other man who just got up and left him with little care in his actions. A severely bad case to that anxiety it was that gotten at him really good where there was a noticeable personality and physical change happening within himself that had everyone worried about him. It was quite visible to the naked eye that the sudden, out of the blue disappearance to his masked work partner well more romantic then just regular old friends were starting to take a serious toll on his overall health both physically and mentally as well. Many people mostly Kate and Toby then the others in the mansion where the ones that witnessed this first hand every time, they tried to ask the man if everything was alright to which he always respond back bluntly with the response.

"No obviously I'm not doing fucking well..." An exasperated grunt leaves his parted lips as he rubs his shaking hands down past his face, "... Nothing is going on about this. It's been a full week. A dang week yet Tim hasn't returned like boss said he would..." Telltale sign that this was badly worrying him that his partner hadn't even came back to the cabin and that maybe he might actually not be coming back. It was what was scaring him the most that somewhere that wasn't here alongside him the other man was dealing with the shit they got themselves into all himself. Alone to deal with the conflicted feelings that would most likely be occurring right at this very moment where he was left unable whatsoever to help console his partner. A partner that may be a mean asshole to everyone he meets but still he wants to be there for the guy in his unique condition. A condition nobody else in the world had up to date and Brian was the one that put the other in that so he had to be supportive right now in the sensitive part that was the beginning trimester. "... And the boss hadn't been doing anything about it yet?" Brian was starting to feel himself growing all the more overwhelmed and worked up to the point that it was starting to overwhelm him that he was left unable to think properly or work to the best of his ability. "... How come he isn't doing fucking anything about it. It kills me..."

"You know boss isn't one to really get too involved in our or anyone's personal business unless it affects him in the process?" Kate sighs, rubbing the bridge of her nose as she was the only one that had to be supportive for her fellow comrade that felt down.

"I know that. I'm not stupid now? Boss never gave a shit about any which one of us. We're only mindless puppets to his whims and when we aren't the best, he then makes sure it handled properly. He doesn't care about anything else on us like our emotions and shit"

It wasn't an easy trip for the woman to deal with by herself on the daily when observing those sudden, out of nowhere changes in the man slouching in front her. No one here was making it easier for the poor proxy that only wanted his love unexpectedly carrying another smaller life wasn't the least bit helpful. Kate if she was in the other's place, she would exactly be the same way maybe a little angrier as she wasn't the least bit calm like the man once was before the incident. The way Brian was acting surprised her that someone like him would be acting so upset which was understandable but the anger bubbling inside came as the more shocker to the two. Toby on the other hand wouldn't be the least bit helpful whatsoever as he was possibly the main cause to this ridiculous incident.

"Never said you were stupid. Far from it since you're the smartest one out of us?" She tried to explain his great attributes and that his love didn't run off because of him to that instead ran from the emotions to the situation. A suggestion or more so idea has been brewing up inside her head from little after the time she had found out herself about the news that was something quite peculiar for her to fully understand on her own. Hell, she didn't know how in the world the two proxies she known for years was able to comprehend such a thing in their minds yet with the masked man's disappearance then to his lover's mood change it was obvious not well. "... Um, why don't you try to do something then? As you said the boss won't listen to what you try to say on multiple occasions before? He may listen this time knowing you'll be going out yourself to find Tim since surely the man isn't going to come back on his own accord?" The information gathered told her that the masked male had a past to doing this type of thing and grown to have the knack to finding a way out of sticky situations that involved him.

Now Brian was actually thinking of what she had just blurted out then having been for the past week standing there like a miserable, grumpy zombie. "... May work..." The blonde male mumbles tiredly under his disgusting breath that he hadn't been brushing like he used to for days. "... May not though...?" A sigh coming from him this time came and went when dully looking back at the charcoal haired woman standing with crossed arms. "... I've tried talking to boss on this and he's only saying Tim come back on his own time or the Sickness get him to return?" Her suggestion to him returning to the highest floor to the mansion to the centuries old eldritch's office was tempting for him to rethink on doing it. Still he had repercussions to think on when doing so as his partner had done this running away incident many times that it grown quite tedious to everyone.

"... It's something to think about, Brian? You don't have to do anything other than to just wait hoping that Tim will return?"

"... He won't…" He admits truthfully even when that truth hurts him deeply that it got him balling up his fists again, "... Not on his own accord but mines he will..."

A threat left a bitter taste in his lips as he utters those words before taking a swift exit from the room Kate and him were in for their five-minute break. The corner of his eyes he saw the woman left in his dust simply shake her head upon returning back to her tasks at hand still to be done at the mansion. Then he saw that twitching side show freak talking to another girl in the hallway about his age with a clock in her eye whom he had such an obvious crush for but never had the guts to ask her out. Brian or most often called by his nickname Hoodie wasn't going to have at the hilariously depressing one sided relationship with when tugging the younger male by the collar with him. A surprised squeal came from the twitching proxy as Brian stomps his way to the faceless being's office to tell the other, he was getting his partner back one way or another and that he was bringing both Kate and Toby with him for the ride.

"Hey?! I w-was doing something h-here?! W-what's your d-deal, man?!" Toby angrily hisses back at him however once meeting the coldest glare ever given to someone immediately shut up for the sake of his own life.

Brian growls lowly in the man more so boy's ear when responding back, "No you weren't. All that was going to happen is that she says in return to your hopeless devotion to her by the shameless flirting she only sees you as a friend. Nothing more so now you're coming with me and Kate to find Tim"

A distraught, heartbroken whimper came from Toby after hearing such things all the while managing to set himself free from the harsh grip set around his thin neck. The hand that did take his neck earlier had taken its iron grip on his arm without letting him take a moment to fully understand what was going around him. Eventually the two men trudged their way to the front door to the mansion where Kate was about to head back to her place. She almost got the same treatment Toby gotten but more lightly given upon exiting the mansion. Once returning to the cabin owned by Brian packed the necessary items in a bag, he needed then left that place to head out of the forest area.

"Huh? What are we doing?" Kate had up to now stayed quietly following along curiously asked him to which he replied coldly,

"... Getting Tim back one way or another..." He growls the threat once again before making his way throughout the thickly settled forest with the other two worryingly following behind him with concerned looks on their faces.


	10. Chapter 10

**7 weeks**

_'__... You can never run away from me. I own you and I will always find you in the end…'_

Cruel, unforgivable words coming from either his own consciousness or another though he didn't know that for sure when it rang in his ears then making its way to echoing inside his head that was badly pounding with a headache. No matter what he'll won't ever be found by anyone back in the forsaken mansion set up in the thickly brushes to the forest that always had an unsettling presence to it. Sad that he had to leave his best friend and partner there with freakish monsters back all alone with the thoughts that they were actually having 'children' more so parasites to him than anything else. Right now, wherever he was to how everyone else back 'home' was fairing with him gone was for the best as he was never one to really be missed that much by anyone. An arrogant, entitled asshole who was sickeningly enough to always be by the faceless eldritch's side at all times like a puppy dog following their master was what he was well once was where he was only setting up a new life for himself away from it.

Of course, he heard the mean spirted comments derived to his allegiance to the faceless being by the many other residents that can never really understood it. They often say it was beyond weird how someone so blunt, rude and observant almost way out of line to other's weakness can be the right hand to a being that took everything serious with no laughs. It surprised him now that he stayed for so long under the being's rule without going too crazy in the head over it though that did almost happen on occasions. That wasn't going to be further explained or remembered right now as those words will surely return back to both be bothersome and haunt him. All that will remain if he did go on ahead to reminisce on the past since it will bring back the tales that had always left him having the worst imaginable tremors whilst dealing with the flashbacks to previous events.

_'__... A coward like you will always be back. Its only be a matter of time when you be crawling back to the mansion where you belong. You know your place is right back here then out there...'_

That's what he was and forever will be even if he tried denying such a thing to be described of him since he can always tell the many stories from not so long ago to many years in the past that he was indeed the most courageous and pretty much perfect. As a servant to his master though it was interestingly called proxies he had seen and done too many countless souls that gotten too close to discovering their monstrous activities for the now old boss's liking. First few assignments relating to such would get anyone easily traumatized for the rest of their life to which no duh had happened to him as well since he never taken another's life on purpose. Past was the past now and he wasn't ever going to think about it anymore as he was only looking forward to the future, he wanted to have for so long yet was taken away upon meeting his boss. It shouldn't give him any more troubles now as he was far as physically possible from the infamous thing that often ruined his life for its own enjoyment.

When he was a small child the thing that kept himself awake for many hours on end even to adulthood was that thing that although had human qualities wasn't exactly what you say is human in other ways. What many people will say is inhumane wouldn't be that for his boss who was commonly known to use such tactics to lure in his desired prey. The used to be and hopefully very much in the past proxy was one of those preys that caught the nonexistent eyes that made sure to stare holes that bore in his soul. In his childhood even his own mother and doctors thought he was going crazy when recounting the times, he had met the eldritch out in his times of childish play. They did what they thought be best for him even when he thinks it was just stupid and not exactly helping him at all in the matter.

_'__... You're a side show freak now, y'know? No one will be the least bit understanding to your condition. Once the world outside knows about this, they test you as their guinea pig worse than ever did before...'_

A freak that is what he was now that despite being naturally a male from birth was carrying another smaller yet more mysterious life besides his very own within his stomach. It wasn't meant to be like this anyways he thinks as nothing this horrible soul ever dare happen to someone like him in the first place. But back to the topic at hand that his stomach along with the rest to his well-used to be trim body; dear god the hard work he done to achieve it will be gone forever was going to change drastically without his consent he silently thought to himself in an incoherent, barely audible curse. The whole endeavor to this utter mistake will be a total horrendous nightmare for anyone around a five-foot distance to the issue or more importantly so then ever him who'll never and shouldn't be even experiencing something like it that if it was what to be anyone else like a woman especially would be deeming it as a miracle. A question to simply having an abortion was what he originally wanted in order to get rid the parasite ruining his whole entire life was from what the eyeless cannibal back at the mansion said was so out the question for what was this indestructible artificial womb made it impossible to remove safely that in turn had him beyond angry. Males didn't have babies in this sort of fashion where they are the ones carrying then the females as it was just inhumane in his opinion.

In his way to thinking it should only be females taking this job as really that's what they usually best in with all the nurturing, home-y type things anyways since he's a guy that didn't have to deal with such things. A man he is supposed to be that takes the more respectable and ideal tasks at hand, not this where he'll be suffering from the worst cases of morning sickness, swollen everywhere on himself, odd cravings that lead to awful weight gain and as well having that all added up alongside all those uncontrolled emotions into the mix. Oh, how much he will hate to despise whole heartily that in no time now he has to be wearing some awful outfit that look like a tent on him as his future beach ball to a stomach will slow him down to immobility. What an embarrassment that will be for himself mostly as he'll be reduced to nothing more than a pitied case to be looked down upon by the others. Others that won't pity him too much as distaste will surely be cast more on him than anything else and he can understand their hate towards him.

_'__... _ _They would want to know why some disgruntled male like yourself is like this and they will be curious. Even you can't seem to wrap your head around the fact this is happening to you..._ _'_

Some part to him will forever be horrified by the prospect to being caught by the law or something much worse if he wasn't so racked with something else like the pain coming from below his waist. Back to the main thing troubling him that was the what ifs that the authorities will get to him where tests will surely be done to get a better understanding on his condition. Tests will have to be done that of course, he will struggle to fight against the prodding medical hands wearing blue rubbery feeling gloves. A condition that he shouldn't even had in the first place if that twitching dumb ass didn't set up the stupidest revenge plans. Memories to the horrible things occurred to him flashed in front his eyes where all that he can feel was the slimy cold tendrils wrap around him like they were squeezing the life out of his body. This was for the best he repeated over and over again though it remained to hurt him that he had left his longtime friend back at that place to deal with his issues.

A best that may not be good enough to satisfy both himself and his partner when dealing with something they never knew would happen to them. The thoughts to having a small, delicate baby firstly, going right ahead with no shame ruining his body then having the gal to think it's going to be pampered by their parents and have love showering them. Afterwards the whole endeavor what will he even look like during then when done with it and what if it makes Brian completely turned off by him. Such a thing going on made him sick to his stomach literally that his gut inside was doing backflips whilst filled with acidic vomit. He hated to feel this way where he was sickly and of all things felt way too vulnerable for his liking.

_'__... Now in a messed-up way of thinking you think you're helping the ones that you love. You're not instead it's o_ _nly being done o_ _ut of hate and you being selfishly egotistical._ _ All you ever do is only to benefit yourself_ _.._ _._ _'_

Brian didn't deserve all the shit the both of them are currently going through but what he, himself had done only possible hours ago which he didn't know the exact time to was for the right thing. It may hurt the other man immensely especially in the heart strings if he wanted to be poetic or something however for Tim, he was despite what that small voice in the deepest, darkest crevices in his mind says did care. The care and most of all love was there throughout the time he was first arguing to the other man about how they couldn't take care of some unwanted child to him in the middle to the darkest, rainiest nights ran away from the foreboding forest that kept him prisoner for years on end. All that he ever really wanted to do was to live normally with all his friends alive and well without having that awful sensation to being watched by someone out to cruelly hurt them. Of course, he didn't mean for himself to hurt the one he cared for even when it was for what he had to be repeated in his head over again was for the best.

Slenderman or anything else they called him wasn't the nicest being around like unbelievably enough what the fan girls thought on him which was very far from the truth. That no face having being was basically a cruel dictator that shown no remorse whatsoever when wrongfully punishing the ones mostly his right hand that often displayed the wrong attributes to being a proper proxy. A proxy that must've been such a disgusting disgrace to his boss right now though he had tried to not care about it anymore. Well, the being should've known better to have such high expectations that was way too far especially for his right hand to reach. Maybe he did still care but that was only so engraved into his way of thinking where no matter what he couldn't shake it easily off.

_'__... _ _Everything and everyone you know and love will be gone. I will take them away from you just like I've done before just to do so out of pure spite. Maybe out of pure amusement to seeing you suffer too, huh_ _..._ _?_ _'_

Voices so deep and so unsettling were rumbling up a mighty storm in his thick head that had constantly throbbed in quite a good amount that it caused great discomfort over it. Right now, he wanted to raise his hand up and knock those condescending voices that came from only one other person but he didn't do such a thing. Pain; well more so will only come in result to it if he attempted to contain a calm, no other voice besides his own having mind so, he had kept both his hands glued to his sides. Instead he had moved them to rub up and down at his legs where he had stopped short. Something so excruciating that it was becoming beyond the regular pain he had ever endured was more annoyingly unbearable which came from his legs that the more, he paid attention to it he really couldn't move them to his shocked horror.

Shaky hands that couldn't stop paled amongst the rest of his face started to investigate the area that felt like nothing with the exception to the occasional twinge of displeasure ringing underneath the skin. Small fingers slowly pried themselves away from touching his legs that grown entirely limp upon his touch that had felt something sticky. As well from moving his hand towards his face there was a revolting yet familiar smell to it that he easily recognized to be blood. Dark crimson blood was on both hands and all ten fingers where since it was too dark to see was trembling horribly from the recognition to it alone. It shouldn't be there and now he can only acknowledge with half a mind that it was the most likely reason why he didn't feel anything below his waist.

"... Ugh. W-wha. What the hell…?" He silently curses under his breath which was mostly to only himself whilst staring blindly through the pitch blackness that was enveloping him, "... Where a-am I...?"

His voice unsurprisingly enough was soft spoken with the hint that he's been screaming his lungs out to the point that it gotten badly sore so, he couldn't speak for too long without leaving him to become mute. Almost where he was unable to further to properly speak for long enough before having it cut off when his throat gotten too dry and aching to bear. Soon he was cut short from previous thoughts ravishing his crammed head space when hearing the faintest sounds to floorboards softly creaking underneath soft pitter pats of feet hitting against it. Curiosity got to him where he agonizingly enough pushes his body with as much strength, he can possibly muster for the time being to sit up from the soft cushions his stiff, sore body laid on. A shadowy figure was seen through squinted eyes as was currently hunched over a table appearing to be looking for something.

"... In my house, mister? You slept for quite some time now? I wondered all the while if as the pain was too much that you wouldn't make it...?"

The woman's voice in return left the groggy grump of a man to make a well rudely made disgusted face when running a hand down his puffy cheeks for the millionth time. The sun was what awoke the man besides the pain, voices in his head and her from his slumber that was the least bit pleasant to him who had to sleep on the shittiest couch he had ever laid on in his whole life. Its rays of blinding lights well blinded him once he had weakly managed to open one single eye to see around his surroundings. Sadly, said one eye that been slowly pried open immediately shuts closed once that awful sunlight from presumably the nearest window seeps through past the open curtain made him wince in discontent. Besides the lights making him painfully blind in the eyes it was another thing that was making him wanting to curl up in a tight ball wanting to get away from the world around him.

"Wish I was sometimes..." He mumbles weakly when trying to move his legs with a little help that stung like hell on earth, "... And do tell me w-why. Why can't I fucking move my legs?"

"You had a pretty nasty fall" The women explained with an exasperated sigh to him as she pulls back the curtains completely that felt even worse for the one still sitting on the couch. "In a bear trap nonetheless. Surely you surprise me on so many levels that you made it through such a thing?"

Utter shock and surprise washes over him with as well the fear that due to those injuries was why he couldn't feel anything below his waist. "... S-so. So that was what I felt when I fell..." Surely he thought it was coming from the exhaustion taking place or worse off that his boss found out quite easily about not only his condition which was entirely another issue to be dealt but his failure in the escape attempt. Thankfully what he thought first as the result where his body that already been through many trials had simply put given out on him in the worst way. In a bear trap that hell why would anyone put such a thing in the forest when they like everyone else ought to know the area was not even the safest places. "... Fucking hurt like hell by the way..." Another curse that came out of nowhere that had what he can tell made the elderly woman heavy huff.

"I bet it was" She simply put as she stares almost blankly out the window, "Almost off the topic here somewhat is it almost makes me wonder why you were in the forest to begin with? Anyone here or anywhere really knows that forest isn't the safest places?"

The reason he was in that forest was obvious to him though as he was just trying to leave its borders in time without getting recaptured by that faceless being. "... Its. Its none of your business, lady. All that you need to know is that I'm out of there so, don't worry" Rude as that have been but its needed since he couldn't just open himself for some total stranger despite that said person was simply an old lady that may or may forget everything. It just wouldn't have been ending well if he told another soul to his life within the forest that surely have him thought as some simple-minded murderer on the loose. Right now, he couldn't afford to be caught be either the law's nonnegotiable hands or the ones from back at his place of work that wouldn't take kindly to his departure and deceptive nature. "All I. I need to do is t-to leave and get going on somewhere else then here. Far from here to be more exactly and I'm only wasting my time being here" Run, just run as far as your legs can take you was repeated in his head and that was what he planned to do once leaving this new home he didn't know.

A spark of annoyance came from the older woman as she turns around to face the man that she had brought to her home to stay and heal his quite serious injuries was basically spatting in her face. His lack to respecting his elders or pretty much anyone else really was obvious to her as well to something else underlying in his pained expression when trying to stand up again from the couch. "It may not be the best if you tried to stand up right now. You still look like you're in pain and I wouldn't want the work I've done on your legs to become undone" That was enough to have the stranger plop right back down even if what she said didn't much an impact since the braces on his legs made it impossible to properly stand up. A pity to see someone like that man who most likely was a strong willed individual at some part in his life until now and something had changed within the man. It was what made her want to ask all the more questions about the strange male's background as she nor her adult children knew anything about him.

"I'm sorry dear but you aren't in any condition to be getting up and out of here right now? Your legs really as I said earlier took a nasty chomping from the bear trap" She ought to get that through the other man's rather thick skull that matter what he was not up to prime at the moment. The results she gotten from saying that took into sudden realization that he although a bit limply sitting there and still noticeably so dizzy from the past incident wasn't going to take such stuff sitting down. "... It may be a little difficult, I understand that from you so, it be best to just stay there doing nothing but from the looks of yourself you do need the rest to get the better chances that you'll heal" Quite a while will the man on her once cleaned couch even if it needed to be replaced so it wasn't the best had been stained by his blood understand that he'll need to get treatment before being set off on his own. A bunch of work on her fragile hands yet she knew that upon hearing his brash, loud voice curse out her son just the other day that had her shivering from familiarity so she can only have to help the poor man out. "But until then you will have to try to do your part meaning that all that attitude you have got to better controlled" An irritated huff came from the stranger whom laid down again on his back that had one cracked and popped down it a second time as he positioned himself in a more comfortable position.

"... Better control my attitude. Whatever, not like I haven't heard that dumb ass shit before in my life..." He angrily mutters, arms wrapped around his stomach where he not so gently tries to push down on the soft bump.

"It just won't get you anywhere, that's all to be so badly moody with me. All I'm trying to do is help you when you have such bad injuries like this and I want to better understand you"

"Why am I just so sorry for making you feel such a way but lady you nor anyone else at this old funky country home or whatever is never ever going to change me so piss the fu-"

She went ahead to just interrupt the man from most likely to have another childish argument that wouldn't amount to anything that first was a harsh slap to the back of his head before speaking up, "... And I'm so sorry that I had to do that to you but you're living in my house with my dear family that don't need to be hearing this awful language from you early on in the morning. We didn't have to bring you here at all and just had an ambulance take you away but I didn't when I saw you so, behave or I won't be hesitant to show you how I am around here?" The look on the man was total befuddlement and shock to even fear that someone so much older than he was able to pretty much show him his place in which he didn't know too well. "Now if you may listen, I want to ask you something that's been on my mind since you arrived here" A slow, little spazzed out shake to the head told her that he was indeed listening internally to what she may have to say. "... Let's start with something simple, okay? How about you tell me why you were in that forest to begin with? Anyone knows that place isn't exactly the safest even for so called tough guys like you?"

"... Its none of your business and you just wouldn't want to know why I was even in there" The male forces a muffled sigh, hand brushing through the messy mop that was his hair. "... And if I told you it only makes you want learn more then to get me out of here all the slower and agonizing for the two of us so, I'm making it easier for everyone involved and saying simply to just let me leave, okay? No harm in doing that, right...?"

"... You know I can't despite whatever 'dark' past backstory you hiding from me to keep me or anyone else in particular safe from some unknown danger out there…" Look on the man was pitiful as like he was about to give up in life and that sickly look made her heart clench almost as he saunters over back to the kitchen when stopping with the questions for the moment. The woman must have hit something within the stranger to what she said but she can handle herself and think on a clear state of mind. "... Now, try to rest some more. There's a long way to healing for you, y'know...?" Something was being held back as she glances back at the stranger that laid down on the couch with his back facing her. It wasn't going to be easy down the road until recovery is completed and then she allows the stranger in her house to head out on his own. Soon enough the day ahead breezes quite quickly past her, her family and the man that still remained on the couch that looked absolutely awful even when the one day escalated to more days and turned into a full week without much improvement. Worry throughout the week at first didn't show too much but eventually to her surprise when time past she had to do something yet with the man's stubbornness that held an eerily sense to familiarity everything was just difficult to get through him.


	11. Chapter 11

**7 weeks**

Whatever sickness it was possibly caused by the horrible injuries attained by her son's randomly placed beartrap was persistently plaguing the stranger currently living in her house was starting to eat up on her. As a nurse with a lot of experience in the field even if long ago had retired from the job and its hectic life that came alongside with it, she knew it was her sworn duty anyways to try to help him. Although in attempting to help the poor sap out there was the constant, often annoying issue coming from his stubbornness always being in the way with having to deny her helping hand. The only thing she wanted to know what was exactly wrong that it be leaving his mouth zipped shut with a figurative key of intimidation since there has to be at least something going underneath those dark stern eyes which most likely than not seen the most horrible things in his life. It was making her close to reaching her breaking point almost where she wanted to simply stomp over to the man lying on her couch all day like a lazy, immobile lump to ask what his problem was then why he needed to keep everything so secretive yet thankfully for everyone involved held back from asking any intruding personal questions as she already tried once on that first night with utter failure.

All she desired to know was what brought someone like the man into the foreboding place containing so many dark, twisted fiends once presumed in tales spoken in town to be humans at some point or another and being given powerful, chaos wielding qualities by a demon waiting behind a wall. Such silly tales she had always thought quietly to herself when staring at the woods from the front porch but when that man came here it wasn't so ridiculous when he's clearly been running away from something or maybe someone to be exactly and she couldn't help herself to feel at threat from it. One reason why she thought necessary to keep him her for the time being until proven otherwise however she did take a class or two back in college about Psychology to know there had to be one wrong thing about the strange man now made to take seat in an old, squeaky wheelchair gotten from the attic. It brought a weak smile to grow on her face when seeing the ancient thing come slowly down the wooden staircase to the living room bring back many memories to when it was used by others so dear to her. Such glimmers of past somewhat happy memories faltered a little when see seen the stranger huff and make a snide comment under his breathe saying he'll never use that like why would he as he isn't feeble like her for fine example.

Right at that time the comment was insensitively made she had to get her daughter to hold back her peeved son to not go on full rampage on the stranger although shocked at first by the outburst simply afterwards seconds later nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders like it was nothing. Even when the man she nor her family knew all too well was bedridden to the couch like death was leering over him was continuously being what more blunter people then she calls an arrogant asshole no body dared to ever like more than a life sucking parasite, "... He isn't getting any better. I know he's trying to get out of here as quickly as he can but I just won't allow it..." She quietly replies in a drawn-out sigh, eyes longingly over with brows knitted together in immense worry at the stranger appearing to have such life sucking slowly out from him now set up in a wheelchair on the front yard to their home. "... Don't get it. Why is he so absurdly thick headed and dang rude for? Y'know dear, sweetie I'm only wondering only why he's even like this to begin with before he leaves to the hospital or whatever?" Questions were many wanting to be asked even when multiple times before had been constantly shut down by the grumpy man. So, she felt completely miserable and awful that she was left unable to do much of anything to help that man who seems to get a sick kick even if by total accident. "A hospital would be better than being here with us for him, yes? They know what to do to better help him then I?" An offer repeated more than once she knew terrified the man bound in that wheelchair and in response feverishly asked to never return back there then tiny bit coherent asked for his mother.

It didn't get to her she's been mostly talking to herself after a long moment to utter silence beside the sound to her own voice when then she eventually hears a deeper voice then her own give out an annoyed huff to which she can only roll her eyes. "Ma. You shouldn't worry about the man like that. It's pointless as he's not going to tell you anything. He only wants to get out of this place here. I get where he's coming from. The guy looks so uptight and prude like almost like he's better than us?" Her son was right after all though to a point since why would she want to go past all the bullshit anyways however she wasn't going to stop until she properly done her job. Yet her curiosity and motherly nature wouldn't allow herself to simply forget about it when finding her gaze always turn to the man. It was always like her to be on occasion worry over the younger generation who she can tell right there in front her had an issue or two to many being hidden away from sight. "... And do remind me again why we should let Louanne 'hang' out with him? The guy is some random stranger we've somehow allowed in this house coming from the woods of all places" She was asked in annoyance over it when seeing her young grandchild skipping across the feild with hands full of various flowers towards the wheelchair bound man.

A strained chuckle left her when turning her attention away to her youngest child and only son, "I'm quite surprised myself yet she wanted to make the man feel more at home since he was a bit grouchy lately from being in pain. I thought it was rather adorable when she came up to him and said to stop with that 'pouty' face and then she pushed him out to find flowers for a flower crown" Amusing was it to see her granddaughter get on her tippy toes in order to look directly at the man glaring daggers at her which funny enough the girl didn't care one bit. The only thing she said; _'Sir, you gotta get out here sometime or you'll never get better. Do you even want to get better or no?' _Only response given back from the man was an angered huff when at the time looking away to the front porch for a long period until he begrudgingly agrees to it. Right after him agreeing in his usual sour mood she watches on with a small smile as the girl skips behind the wheelchair then goes on to push it out from the living room through the front door. _'Hey!? Be careful now, you little brat?!' _Of course, the strange man angrily hisses when raising his balled fists up only in the air; 'If I get myself further hurt because of you and your dumb antics I'll never get out of here before he... he oh, whatever' Thankfully he didn't curse out any of those horrible words to the child as then they had just left to do what the young girl wanted from to do with the man. Now as the two adults sitting at the front porch stare down at the pair, she couldn't imagine how her grandchild can be sometimes very naïve to strangers she never met who most likely didn't mean any good surprised her.

"Why didn't you stop her? Don't think Delanie would like her daughter around that man who I have to say again we don't know a single bit and shoulda been out of here a week ago when he got here?" Eventually she hears the other pipe up with another piss ant, untrusting comment under his breath.

"You know she doesn't have too many friends, Chuck around here. Too 'rebellious' and too country like for their desires..." She simply replies, not wanting to go into much detail on how these people living up at their expensive houses didn't like the lower kind below their feet, "... But even when she's so young in age she knows somehow that he was getting lonely and thought she'll help him 'feel better'?"

"The man's an asshole. I think he just does that whole pity party to have people feel sorry about him or something like it?" Chuck in turn lets out a sigh when not bothering to look any longer at his niece trying her hardest to make that ridiculous crown for someone that didn't deserve it. A full-on week he had to deal with that ungrateful little shit where he couldn't simply kick the other out onto the streets as _'it wouldn't be fair to do such a thing to someone so hurt' _or _'he needs to heal first before he can leave' _All that was starting to make him beyond annoyed that he spent more time to himself out on the said porch in his rocking chair but surprise his dear mother had to intrude in his moment of silence when watching the pair. Hell, if he had his way no one, not a god damn one of them have to deal with the other man who was practically eating his way through their already dwindling food sources with that pot belly seemingly taking it all. A small round stomach in his eyes were growing more bigger and rounder amusingly similar to a baby bump with each passing day to his utter disgust in it as well with that strange man's never-ending appetite. Whole thing made him sick to his own stomach every second he finds himself staring down at the other only man in the household that always returned the glance with an angered or annoyed look in his eyes.

Yet he wouldn't be able to kick out their piece of shit house mate until that man as his mother said to him on a daily basis on repeat like a broken record was healed and healthy. "... I know he is. Clearly, he needs to dial it down a bit in the attitude apartment. Though I get it that he's in pain and unwell" She glances back at the younger man by her side with his arms crossed over on his chest, "Chuck, it won't be that much longer that he's able to stay here if you're going to act that way with me. Even when he wants to leave here and doesn't want to go to a hospital, he needs to eventually since I can only do so much for him. Right now, I'm far by not enough"

The man nodded slowly as he understood her and was almost angered that she would get so badly worked up over someone not so important as her family. Maybe he can understand more if she was fretting over him, his sister or likely his niece or possible another resident to the town she knew for a good couple year or more than a week with this freeloader found off in the forest. Not a single person knew the man on a personal level beside his name which he can't know if that was a lie among other things that couldn't be trusted so easily by him. A nurse she might've been in her younger days but up to recent day this was way out from her expertise upon dealing with a man so mysterious. Some man off the streets who clearly didn't want the help from her or the family at all and really in all honest wanted to leave to be away from a thing supposedly coming after him in the darkest shadows far away.

After being silent for most of their conversation Chuck replied in his usual dully forced response, "I'll try to be patient, ma. Hard as that may be for me. I will at least try to be on my 'best' behavior"

"Hm. I know you can. You're tough and have been through much worse now" She gently reassured her son before continuing to watch the other two out on the field picking flowers for crowns.

"Shi- I. I can't. I can't even believe that I'm doing this right now?"

Tim really couldn't in his mind when having flowers upon colorful weeds more likely they were to him piled up on his lap when leaning back in the wheelchair they said would better help himself move around then stay stuck in one place. Flower picking wasn't on his radar to do today rather he be on that couch in the house then here out in the burning sun getting an awful sunburn like a lobster in a boiling hot pot. Nope, he was made to sit in a dusty, mold covered wheelchair by the angry brute mostly keeping to himself all the time watching him during day to night like he was going to do something horrible to the family. How can he when he stupidly got himself in a predicament that he's numb from the waist down with little feeling which he can guess can wonder how twitchy twerp back home felt a little. When reminiscing about that stuff he couldn't help to choke the warm, gooey taste of vomit back down his tense throat and in the process leaving a burning sensation lasting from mostly the early morning hours to literally all day.

Is this what people call morning sickness? It wasn't going on in the morning at all and it was horrible that woman all over the world and horribly now him had to deal with this on a constant without a break. How was he supposed to do this now when alone to do his own thing and injured beyond thought so, he can't leave so easily as he likes which would have been a week ago. What else other than the morning sickness there were also, other things to be added onto the list to the disadvantages held up against him were the uselessness to his legs, bloating in his gut, and worse off for right now was a skull cracking headache pounding up in his skull at every place. This shouldn't have occurred to a person like him and oh how much he wanted to still does plan to get rid of this parasite in some way. An attempt ought to be done before the others back home or Brian or worse the faceless being hot on his trail stop him before anything like that can be even attempted.

"Come on?! It can't be that bad, can it?!" The young girl snaps her head back when hearing another whip of annoyed comments from the stranger she, herself didn't know too well, "You've been so sick from what my Grammy says to my mama and you're all bloaty in the gut?! Like a booter belly they say?!" A poke went to the older man's midsection that felt a little harder than it should be when being swatted away by the bigger hand.

So high pitched did not do any favors to the pounding migraine that left the used to be proxy to groan annoyed whilst slowly turning up his head to glare back down at her. "Oh, shut it, will you? I already have a headache from your grandmother then with her daughter, your mother right, as well nagging up my as... And then with your freaking uncle so, don't make it worse for me, alright?" An angry sneer came from him as he leaned back in the stiff seat when the girl returned back to plucking more flowers from the ground though a bit slower. Obvious to anyone else he did not enjoy wanting to be there picking the flowers with some little girl being annoying one single bit. "So, why don't you go off somewhere else then here with me instead? I really want to be left alone and like don't you have friends or something around your age?" The disheartened look given by the girl was enough his answer when he tilted his head a bit in confusion over her silent response threatening to spill in maybe waterworks to get her adult's attention. "... Guess not, huh? Great..." Yet another sarcastic reply and an exasperated groan later escapes his dry mouth since he was never good with children or anyone else his age in particular.

"... I do want friends but no one wants to play with me..."

"Why can't you make any?" Merely a small interest pipes up in his head and using his old tactics to getting information from people for his own gain he uses them with this child, "You appear to be well, very lively to bombastic and kids to being as much annoying as they are, I suppose are the same like yourself so, yeah they should favor you as a friend?"

It was a while, an annoying while but he simply can try to wait for her to speak up since from what he can see the topic brought up was touchy for her, "... Mommy tells me that this is wrong what they do and say and that I shouldn't be a l-listening..." Vocabulary looks to not be her strong suit when she gets immense difficulty saying simple things he thinks when leaning up his head on his arm on the armrest to the wheelchair. "... B-but I hear them... They say I'm too r-rowdy and dark to play with the other children? That I. I'm a black bastard's baby? Don't know what they mean…?"

"... Oh shiii..."

Wasn't what he expected in the slightest from such a young girl like the child. Of course, he did take instant notice when he got there on how she was relatively different then her other family members. The girl had a darker complexion from her own mother among uncle and grandmother all had tanned skin didn't have her light brown color. Neither did any of them had the curly black curls the girl attained in contrast to the light brown hair colors to her mother. In the end he could easily find himself actually getting sick to his stomach over it that they the locals meant to be tight nit or something to it would be so discriminatory over a child.

"Do you know what they mean? B-by. By a black bastard's baby, mister?" Shit. Awkwardly tense this was for him when looking back at the barn house to be only met with the girl's uncle harshly staring and the grandmother heaving a sigh, "You seem to know everything, right after all?"

"I do know everything but still..." Ego boost there to help disguise the other stuff that always made him feel like shit. A hand nervously itches at the back of his neck, actually nervous for one time in his life was a bit afraid to answer that question coming from a child nonetheless. "... And you shouldn't say that. Bastard. It's a bad, very horrible word so d-don't go saying that or your family thinking I taught you that..." Word that he's commonly used back home but he felt like he had a right to say it when once living in a crowded area with morons. This was totally different in every aspect when he fiddles with the stems to the flowers on his lap with eyes gazing anywhere else then at the girl. Corner to his eye he did see the girl nod her head in acknowledgment and shame over her terrible mistake that with a wave from his hand then a quiet mutter told her it was fine. "... Back to the um, question it means well, I think that you come from a man who is just like you. It's not appropriate at all. I kind of don't know really how to answer such a thing for you?" Lame or more so overall shitty answer to the question given to him but what can he do without seeming stupidly racist in the end.

Instant relief was what he was returned with when the young girl at six possible gone over to her little project of making awful flower crowns.

"... Sorry sir..."

"For what kid?" He asked, knowing the apology wasn't coming from the previous action done that no longer annoyed him.

Black colored eyes turn to face him with her mouth opening up to respond, "... For getting you I-I... Invol-"

"Words is involved kid. Try to pronounce it slowly"

"Hm okay" She softly hums a half audible tune he didn't know, "I know my mommy says to never feel bad about what I am that I'm perfect the way I am"

"... And you are. They aren't and man, I never thought people be this shitty... Oops, don't say the last word either. Bad"

"You really think so?" What he said openly without holding back or replying after with a snarky remark must've a positive effect to the girl staring with wide eyes. "No one says that beside my mama or grandmother and sometimes uncle if he ain't mad from it?"

"Bet your father is ten times angrier then your uncle and that's saying something, huh? People saying that horrendous stuff about his only precious lil' daughter?"

Then what he least expected was for the young girl to with hands full of flowers still kick the remaining ones on the grassy floor with her foot. A nerve has been hit to the child as he squirms a little when hearing only the wind being the only thing heard by him. "... I don't have a daddy? Or I never seen him ever?" Tiny finger taps the end to her chin as a sad expression washes on her face once again to that he didn't feel good on it. Guilt which he can never know be a feeling he would experience he'll ever endure in his lifetime with the rare there to here occasion in the past. "Mama never really talked a lot on what my 'daddy' looked like or a-anything. I don't know why I can't learn more about him...?" A mean spirted grumble came from her when looking back at the flowers in her hand and when he took some in his hold surprised her.

"... I bet she has a good reason for it though? If he isn't here with you and your ma as your father now then he doesn't deserve you" All the while Tim twists and turns the stems of the flowers with one another until he's got them attached then secured tightly. "A good father would be here for his child through everything especially when you deal with this sort of stuff no kid should really go through at all"

"Yeah, you're right. But my mama when I. I e-eavesdrop..." She appears to be proud to say the big word on her own without any help from anyone be yet remorseful for doing such a thing to her mother, "... I hear her talking to granny sssometimes when she's sad saying she felt bad for leaving my 'daddy' and she made an awful choice in something?"

"Uh huh..." The older one and man between the two gave out a hefty huff when moving his hand over to his chest where it feels so suddenly like a heavy weight been placed on it. Such a sensation left him to abruptly stop in the making to the crown he only made out of pure boredom as his eyes became out the blue so watery to his immense displeasure like he's done something similar. "... She and your father must've not had the best relationship with him or something, that's why. I know from experience if you call it that?" A slightly shaky hand moves up to his face to rub at the edges when feeling pained pricks. Why now to all things will he be feeling such a way when he thinks he's just doing the best thing for everyone involved as nobody would want him in this condition. It will be best if he were to swiftly change the topic to which he did in a matter to a few seconds, "Well why dontcha we get back to this if you want to make the flower crowns? Get our minds off the topic, yes?"

"Oh, yeah?!" The girl eagerly jumps onto her feet then skips over to where he was and taking the flowers from his lap, "Ain't really good at this"

Shoulders slumped merely shrugs up, "Neither am I yet look at this? I think I'm doing okay, I believe?"

In his hands were already a finished flower crown made out of daisies since that's the common flowers here near him. "It looks cool" He hears a loud, squeaky giggle ringing in his ears and the sounds of crumpling wet grass from behind.

"... Hey, Louanne and... You. It's getting awfully late, don't you think?" There it was; someone he didn't like and vice versa despised his guts whole heartily. Name was Chuck or some stupid country name given to a man who most likely had an intelligence to a turnip or lower then it like a blunt rock. Once the girl and himself got the flowers pilled back on his lap the wheelchair, he's in starts to slowly trek up the hill at a careful pace. "What were you making? Seems like a ton of flowers I must admit?" Obviously ignoring Tim, the other two went on ahead with their own conversation with him rolling his eyes. He didn't mind listening or following it whatsoever like he usually done to be a nosy piece of shit until he did when hearing his name brought up.

"We were making flower crowns?!" Louanne; the stranger among the small family should really learn their names or hell stop being an asshole when forgetting them like trash, "It's for one another? I felt bad for him since he's all alone so its friendship crowns for friends?!"

"Friends?"

Really, they were now considered that even when he, himself rudely ignored the child like the rest of them.

"Yep. We had a heart to heart talk so wouldn't that make us friends, right uncle Chucky?"

"I don't think that's how it works?" Then Tim can feel the angered eyes bore in the back of his pounding skull. "And I don't think it's good to be friends with someone so much older then you are?"

"It's fine. I don't mind being 'friends' with your niece. She's the only one nice here" Tim decided to speak up in this conversational piece to where he can see the other man hiss through clenched teeth.

Sounds to hands clapping were heard as Tim glances past his shoulder and the wheelchair to notice quickly the girl making the noise with a right happy grin, "See!? The crowns did help make me friends?! Told you uncle Chucky and you said they wouldn't?!" Then the child jumped onto his lap on top the flowers and in result left him to be startled by the action. "What? I'm tired? Can I sit here until we get home?"

"Louanne..." Her uncle grunted as Tim winces in pain, "... You can't just do that to him with his injuries to his legs?"

Eventually she got the hint and jumps right back with eyes full of fear, "Oh?! I. I'm so sorry, mister?! I forgot about that..."

"It's fine, kid. I'm all good now? See?" He gently reassures and calms her nerves.

One second later he could hear a muffled chuckle leave the other man pushing the wheelchair he sat on. "Yep. And I don't think there's much lap space on him anymore with his gut, huh?" A comment unneeded for his lackluster confidence and overwhelmingly self-esteem issues as he tries to refrain himself from saying a word or two with the commenter. Thankfully to everyone else beside him they reach the home as he curses a bit silently when being helped into the front door. What a way to end things with someone having to say at least one thing about his ever-changing waistline and how his stomach once with tons of effort to stay fit was losing itself to the parasite. Then the guilt from before seeps back in to haunt him as he slouches down in his seat with a burning desire to call it a night on that blood-stained couch.


	12. Chapter 12

**7 Weeks**

Once he was in the barn house with the rest of the strange family, he was currently residing with at the moment being until he was back on his feet in a literal sense, all he was currently doing was laying on his side on the worn-down couch. Sure, the elderly lady tried to have him eat with them yet he replied with simply 'I ain't your family or more so not hungry for some awful shit of yours' which was intentionally rude but speaking from the truth as he didn't feel like he deserved to be there in the first place. After hearing the son's insulting comment earlier on deriving from his weight gain to the niece, he felt like all the hunger once eating up at his insides were now forever gone in replacement with the feeling to claws scraping at his sides to nothingness. Everything else afterwards was pretty much a big ass blur for the most part to the once proxy to the infamous being known as Slenderman as he tries to fall asleep for the night. Yet it wasn't so dang easy for him when having the unsettling sensation that one induvial or more likely a group of people looking for him to take his sorry ass back to quote unquote home at the old time-y mansion. Not something he felt all the better on as he in response tossed and turned on the stiff cushions, he laid upon which must've gotten the else's woman's attention who wanted to say something on his constant movement.

"Good night..." Instead soon Tim only hears the almost forced sweet voice spoke up from the eldest woman as she left him alone in the living room who he didn't even bother to reply.

"... Eh what the fuck ever. Goodnight or something l-like. Like it...?" What would he respond back to that anyways to her beside why would he, himself want to hear the aging voice asking constantly for a week to now if everything was fine with him?

"... Only wanting to say that, dear. Don't give me that bull for it?"

An annoyed grunt came in return as the older woman simply shook her head when slowly with as much strength, she could muster climb up the stairs to the second floor. What she always said to him with each and every passing day is that she wanted to help, truly so to get him back on his feet in both senses. He though kept up with the pitiful struggling and argument to which he shouldn't be here with then comes the rambling becoming quite delirious from him saying he and the other mindless mutts are coming after him sooner or later to punish him. It left the family he's staying with to worry even more especially the grandmother figure to worry and then fret ten times worse on him to the point he felt the stay become dreadfully longer. Which wasn't what he desired for and it was really taking a serious toll on his overall once pristine health now crumbling into shambles in his very eyes.

So when he expected nothing beside that estranged measly sentence escaping from his chapped lips was for he to feel all these new emotions, he hadn't felt for oh so long, too long to be exact as it was way before he had become a dreaded emotionless proxy more so a total jackass than anything else to have felt something like sadness. Hormones were running high and it what was causing him to be like this acting as some pent-up crazy person who in a flip of a hat can go from angry to sad then the other way around and so on. It wouldn't be long until sleep took the main issue for him to currently deal with as it was right there peering its ugly head past the corner of course, torturing him with it happening an agonizing slowly yet surely pace and with irritancy it didn't want it to occur at the moment. Eyes were getting heavier with each passing second, he stopped trying to keep his head up when plopping it down on the side to the couch, not minding the moldy smell to it. However, none to that mattered to the dark-haired male when feeling something long, slender and cool wrap around his arm quite tightly, almost enough to cut off circulation yet not enough since then were dangling off before moving away.

Something he had felt before not sending in any good feelings and especially horrifying memories to top it off as he crinkles his nose in disgust then shaking his head. It wasn't something later on that the now once previous proxy to the infamous, devious Slenderman thought too much on as he wakes to see with wide, shocked open eyes nothing but pure pitch darkness. Those dark midnight colored eyes of his paced quick and hastily made except when it was slowing down until finally coming to an abrupt stop over something in the distance yet not seen too good. The place was quite dull yet can be so eerily interesting at the same time in his opinion since the longer he spent there the more he got the wrong shivers in his body. A sense of tranquility to help calm those nerves didn't come easy for him or not at all as he rubs his arms up and down to accommodate the chill washing over his body. "... Huh? What the actual fuck? W-what. What's happening...?" The small sized 'proxy' kept only seeing the empty void surrounding him, it would've left any other total worry wart to panic at it like a headless chick to that he did so and after gathering himself realizing that he was possibly somehow back in the woods with a blindfold covering his vision however it didn't feel entirely so.

When time went past Tim ended up amazingly enough like no one else would do was to whistling a small tune in shear boredom that meant nothing, merely coming to his mind. He stared curiously about while scratching the back of his neck when a form taking shape a few feet away from him that got him in peaked interest. A form first took the shape of disfiguring blob that got the proxy contorting his face in disgusted horror after seeing its controversial shape try to appear like nothing but ordinary for the environment. Blobs of blurred grayish inky whatever you call it stuck together like playdoh into one huge mass the more he came towards it. Soon sounds of what he can describe it was that of bones breaking then cracking and popping into place got him kicking his legs in the dirt to get away from the thing. Scent changed into something foul that would drive anyone from it due to the smell that resembled rotting flesh. Eyes trained on it then back at his bag with immense caution where the thing's head twisted inhumanely towards him then the rest of the limp body doing the same to face the shivering man. A moment later in the blink of an eyelash it turned to something more human in front of him, something or someone very familiar that scared the living shit out of him.

"W-what... How...?" Tim was left dumbfounded as the figure turns to him with a face to an old friend who passed away long ago too soon though whom appeared similarly but looked more emotionless and deader than the last time, he saw all the way back in the dingy abandoned building. The very last thing he would've expected or even needed was to see the man in the dirtied dull, loose brownish sweatshirt to come out of nowhere for him and only for his own eyes. Torture wasn't it to see the one he cares about in such a disarray with dried up blood splattered all over on his clothes. "... Why are you here? Y-you. You shouldn't even be here... Alive... You d-died, Jay. I knew of it. I. I w-was there...?" It was the many number questions he could've asked as it was true to the thing making up his friend that got him literally squat in return.

_'__... Hello Tim…'_ Nothing came from supposedly no, most certain deceased man's mouth but only the gurgles of light pink droll spitting out, it scared the shorter male as it horribly reminded him of the past. A noise he never wanted to hear again so he tries blocking it out when covering his ears with his badly trembling hands. Hands needed to be removed so attempting to not hear the grotesque imagery to his hooded friend gagging on dried blood was pointless, return it did when he cringed from it as he peeks back to him. Questions that were many popped in and out from his mind like _'how in the world is he here'_ or even more so _'he shouldn't even be here right now'_ were all left unanswered when the other spoke up finally after not saying one thing._ '... Hey Tim'_ It was then repeated again the same line from earlier, _'...It's been a long time no see type of situation between us, huh? I see as well that you got in some serious trouble again, huh?...'_ The echoey voice of his friend called out to him as he stayed there stuck in his current dumb stricken spot shaking tremulously about it. _'...Don't act like that with me? You shouldn't be so surprised to see me right now? I'm here to see how you're doing, that's all? I've seen you not fairing so well out there with your peculiar condition...?'_ The form taking of his dear friend swam over to where he stayed there standing absolutely motionless and silent over the matter. How the other male knew of it was beyond him as he felt some of the color in his face drain right on out from his very body. A second later the two men were close, a lot closer to Tim's liking as he turns his head to the side, unable to stare back at the guy he knew was meant to be long deceased in some shallow grave off somewhere else.

"I... I just h-had. Had taken a little nap, that's all? Not in any serious trouble and by the way you're not even supposed to be here? You're not here, I know of it..."

_'__...I am though? Very much in the soul with you...?'_ Jay's calm voice replied, eyes droopy yet sternly staring back over, _'... You can see, can you? Clear as the day really to be all honest...' _

".. Ugh, No. No, y-you. You really can't be..."A few good deep breaths in and out were made to calm himself down with little success, trying to calm himself down as he simply nods to what he can imagine being quite demeaning to his intelligence. "... I can see that. I'm not ridiculously dumb as you guys seen me as back then?" An irritated mumble came from the mention of the ones back at a time where everything although wasn't the best was better than what he has or had going on now working at that awful mansion he was forced to stay in, associating himself with the monster dressed up formally in the black suit and red tie that often says he was useless for someone with his power as a right hand were seen as poise and delicate to which he wasn't like them. The small statured man didn't want this in his life as he wanted something more deemed normal to the outside world but no, that wasn't meant to be for someone like him when under the iron fist to his boss that had a vengeance towards him than anyone else at home.

_'__... Never said that to you. Don't put words in my mouth when they obviously aren't true in the slightest...?' _

"It just felt like you did. I wouldn't be surprised if you were lying to me?" He grunts as he was remaining to be peeved by it all when mindlessly floating in the abyss, '... Though you're more the liar than anyone else...'

A tired sigh that resembles air deflating out from a hot air balloon left the slightly taller male's pale lips that had a tinge of blue to them. Tim had seen the face of the other man like that once and it was when he saw the life dripping out of the other when he was so upset to see yet someone else die by his hands. _'... I said I'm not? Why don't you get it? I thought that like aren't we're supposed to be close friends here or not as I have an odd feeling we not now in your mind that's been diluted by that forsaken thing which used to follow us endlessly without a stop in sight? One which made us all go mad and left the rest of us for dead when its grown bored of us...?'_ A show of jealousy was dang noticeable from only Tim's point of view when seeing some veins popping out from the man's slender grayish blue neck. Never had he seen the man he considered once an odd associate then a dear friend to his heart act in such an outlandish, brash, and almost pissed off manner as he would never have thought the other who often looked so tired and given up to do anything this way out of character. The two were once friends at a time many years previously after all so, he just couldn't live without the fact the other male's spirt trapped in the afterlife with no place to leave been so as much that it be like him to try to wake up from this possible nightmarish dream he had to provide something instead of feeling like he was a brick wall being talked down to when his ghostly friend was now around during his harsh moments.

"I. I know and its w-was all. All my fault and I know it..."

Jay and his mood changed swiftly however before the once masked proxy now trying to be a normal, hopefully functioning citizen to the world can even mumble something in some interruption once he seen the male exhale the anger that was trapped inside him. _'... Back to the topic in hand I wanted to talk to you. You're currently in deep shit being well... Pregnant, yes and ran from an eldritch type of problem right now yet doing nothing but soon you have to deal with some mad man or being on your tail sooo what are you going to do about it, huh? Like any sort of plans...?'_ He asked to which he received an annoying response, a shrug from the rough and tough man that got him fisting up his hands tightly so then running them past his disheveled hair where anyone if he wasn't wearing that hat was having a few patches gone, _'... Tim?! I... Ugh c'mon man, you got to have a better strategy then that?! It like you're texting me a simple okay to my long written out response?!' _

"No, the fuck offense here but you just sprang that shit on me?! What am I to tell you!? You aren't supposed to be here in the first damn fucking place?!" He yelled back with all the pent emotions now unleashing for anyone in that empty void to see which was only him and Jay, "I-I'm not supposed to be h-here I-in this sickening predicament?! I. I didn't w-want to see you or even Alex get killed then have the others a-as well traumatized and then be some stupid a-as hell proxy to him to h-have any which one of you sssee m-me like this?!" Through hell and back he'll try anything to bring the other man and so on back into this world which couldn't be true no matter how much he attempts to bring back the dead to life. Set everything that gone horribly wrong back on the right trail again before the incident at Marble Hornets; sometimes he dared to forget how it even happened yet he on occasions would and driving down the message to home he needed to be the one to fix it. "A-all the pain I h-had. Had to endure for that faceless shit since I was a child and up to even now c-can't be undone?! I c-can't just simply forget what's been done a-and I try to, r-really I do when I use the shitty façade t-that everything was fine and t-that I'm better than everyone else is n-no longer being able to keep it u-up a-any longer?!" Once people know that he was nothing then a simple minded, self-conscious man with a false sense of security in the form to being an asshole he will never have it lived down any time soon. Since then that was what people back at that mansion and even his own partner had always thought to be him all the time. "Once h-he knows about my condition I just w-won't know what he'll do to me if he gets me?! I c-can't let him do so again as all h-he wanted was an um, something t-that I can't be right n-now..." Screaming loudly wasn't helping his current state of mind when tipsily fading in and out then dealing with what felt like long, slender appendages wrapping around his throat. "... All he wanted from me only was to be the best proxy yet now I-it's not and I' some lonely knocked u-up freak of a man..." Hands shaking were now over his face covering the distraught look written all over his paled face.

Then he felt the other man stepping even closer to him with a more saddened, pitying him like expression, _'...I should've done something. Anything besides being cluelessly stupid...'_ His beloved friend whispered, sending another shivering sensation down his spine. _'... I was only trying to help you out here though a hard time where your utterly alone with your conflicted thoughts and stuff dealing with something you clearly didn't want? Yet I guess I was wrong after all in trying to be there with you in an attempt to be a good friend, huh...'_ Maybe he shouldn't be such a major asshole to everyone and he was really trying to be nice in all though it was continuing to be an uphill battle. Especially more so now than ever before when some parasite was inside his bloated stomach making him racked with feelings panging at all over his body. It wasn't like he wanted to be this way where he was getting into more issues then it was worth when seeing the dry blood crack, a little to drip some 'fresher' blood down from the forehead to the chin. _'... You're carrying or more so forced to have a child for a being wanted a better proxy who'll do anything he wishes to achieve it…'_ What seemed to be all spoken lies to his ears saying to him were too far unrealistic for him to believe was now appearing to be the scarring truth and only the truth.

"... I. I know, heh I m-must be so irritating t-to. To you guys sometimes with my bullshit" Then a broken chuckle left his lips, nerves getting at him badly that it left him with a tremor of unease. Always he was just an awfully bad friend to let the ones he cares go through an endless loop of unhappiness due to idiotic trails and errors. "I don't know w-what I'm going to do? I-I don't know what I'm even doing h-here and why I'm e-even here in the first dang place?" There be no chance for him to act such a pitiful excuse of a man but here he was now, "Y-you couldn't h-ha-have been here right here with me, Jay... H-helping me when I'm already so deep in this shit as it is? I've tried so m-many times to change things but nothing w-worked out for me like I wished with you" He responds with little to no emotion in his voice besides the embarrassing stutters he's got going on when looking out in the distance. Vision was a touch blurry for him that he had to endlessly wipe his puffy red eyes. _'Stop being such a fucking infant with me and with us? Act like a man. A proxy is what you are and forever are'_ Again that voice again kept tormenting him, horribly sounding to be a broken record in his ears. "S-stop it..." Whispering to that small voice got him sounding like crazy person to his friend that stares over at him with a worried expression. Dark eyes of his finally dry from the overflowing tears that had been streaming down his cheeks stares glossy eyed at the man which remained to hold him like in the past.

_'__...It's that time, isn't it? I don't want to let go. To think of losing you again...?'_ The blood-stained man spoken up with guilt laced in his words, hold on Tim's shirt got considerably tighter, _'... I leave so just try to be safe out there, okay? Don't do anything I wouldn't do...' _

"W-wha...?" Least thing he wanted to hear was a gunshot ring through him and a choked gurgle emitted from the figure he called an old friend immediately loosen up to act like a dead weight. Not what should've occurred to begin with like the first time or especially with this bittersweet moment right now as he winces upon reaction. A bright light soon caught his attention and it was becoming more prominent in the enclosed darkened area which almost blinded him to barely see what was going on. Tim couldn't know if the other man or himself was actually fading out from existence or it was just his delusional mental state making the impossible happen. Then he fearfully watches as Jay's form was dissolving right in his very eyes into that gray mixed in with the red blur dripping down in a dark puddle below his feet.

_'__... Pathetic just really uselessly pathetic you are to me…'_ Suddenly the same sensation to something wrapping around not his arm or his neck this time but with his legs tugging him down roughly to the floor. A bumpy, rocky flooring it was with his eyes clearing up from the blackness to the void to the blinding lights to see in a flash where he saw the dark surroundings change swiftly to the forest. The anonymous voice making that mean spiritedly degrading him as a anything less than a living, breathing, and functioning person disappeared quickly like it had started moments ago. Fear had him feverishly looks his unsettling environment to find the source with no success. _'... Maybe you should've stayed back at the in that wretched bedroom in that rotting mansion if you're going to be that dang pitiful and clueless? Should've stayed in all through the morning like the fat lump, you are and overslept 'til maybe someone woke your revolting and disgusting self-up for the day...?'_ Fall was approaching by telltale signs leaves changing colors from originally green to reddish orange, some already fallen and chirps then tweets came from birds up in the trees singing songs.

There it was again as exhaustion quickly got to him with the endless cycle of walking that been going on for a while as the masked man struggled to stay awake any longer. No way can he be falling asleep at a moment like this where he soon dug his finely kept nails into the ground below in a weak attempt to stop whatever was dragging him away. "... S-stop it, whoever you are?!" Another rough tug at his arm had him sliding against now what he ca fear was a cool hard tiled surface and he saw the face or more so the one not there glaring down at him with nothing but wrath. It was undeniably the Slenderman who wasn't the type to make such acts of kindness to the people living at the mansion especially him of all people to make their lives any easier. He was out to make anything that the masked man enjoyed in life a misery for him and when Tim saw he was back in a lone medical room he loudly screeches. An idea that better suited was to have not acted like some know it all thinking that he was capable to do this entire assignment as a one-man team then having the other proxies with him should've been more well thought out pops in his mind. Stupidity at its finest was how he put it to himself on accepting something like this though it was his out of shape side talking when stinging cramps started in his legs.

_'__... I'll make sure you'll never disobey me again…'_ Rope, actual leathered rope from a medical table had tied him down pretty much immobilized on the stretcher. _'... It won't ever like any of the others be a pretty picture...'_ It was secured tightly on his wrists and ankles where he couldn't help himself to stare like he's gone crazy. _'... Don't look at me like that as all I'm doing is showing how much better you can be from a helping hand...'_ Said helping hands were cold to the touch as he felt the faceless being's finger tips pierce through the flesh of his stomach. _'... Now no matter how much you scream out for help no one is here to help you...'_ Pain shot up from that area as Tim grunts out, trying in any way to get himself loose as the bony hand turned into yet another tendril making its way towards him. _'... All you are is some lonely old man with no one that loves or even care about you...'_ Then when he didn't know any better, he felt the being up above glaring holes down at his very soul there he felt a sudden stab in his gut by the black tendril._ '... Something really useless hell, I don't even know why I kept you for some reason or another. All you do is leave people digging their own graves to die a miserable death...?'_ A pained grunt escapes his lips as he soon felt to his horrified realization, he saw his stomach immediately squirm like nasty little bugs were crawling underneath the flesh.

Once the wiggling got worse what he didn't thought could occur to him was when his skin practically busted at the seams from low below the belt up to his chest, "A-ah?! Ah, W-what's happening t-to me...?!" Then he saw it as a tubular parasite pops up where at the tip its head was separated off to three separate ones. Gross imagery implanted in his head for all time as he lets out another bellowing grunt mixed with a pained, exhaust filled mewl. Soon the parasite where its back was facing him turned agonizingly slow to meet with his horrified face to the multifaced resembling that of three mentioned and deformed infants. Closer the parasitic infants got to Tim as he was soon met with a face full of acidic vomit spat carelessly leaving him to scream out. "... N-no... No, get a-away from me?!" His screams erupted them muffled right afterwards in gurgles.

Then out of nowhere really soft yet loud creaks to wooden floorboards were heard from up above his head coming nearer as Tim swiftly picks up his head, "... Hey, what's happening over there? Are you alright, dear?" Eyes were clear from the darkness, light or worse the vomit staining his vision as he soon saw that his surroundings were nothing more than the living room to the barn house. An exasperated sigh of relief came upon feeling nothing from the incidents by that dream. Then when he gotten himself together, he with blurry eyes filled with tears bubbling in the corners he saw the elderly lady standing half way down the stairs gawking at him with worry as she held a candle. "I heard you crying out to someone and then... Then screaming out to god knows who or what to stop?" Flustered that someone had heard and seen his weakness Tim instantly glances away when he heard the woman sigh behind him by his response. "You sure you're fine? I don't want to pressure you into doing anything but still I want to help you. I can see the hurt and torture behind your eyes?" It was all true as the past proxy now some homeless pregnant man all alone to deal with the toppling issues.

"N-no... No, I'm not. I-I'm not fine..."

Right there now pushing himself up from the couch was simply a broken man looking for support even in the least likely people he once wanted to have kept away from him. In reaction it took the woman known as granny or ma by complete and total surprise. Swiftly unlike her old age. "... You never act this way before with me or anyone?" She softly asked, hand slowly heading over to rub at the tense muscles to Tim's back. The touch was comforting as Tim sees himself leaning into it and actually resting his head down on her shoulder.

"I had a nightmare. A horrible truly horrible nightmare..." He felt like she was still at it to pestering him and that he should know better than to share yet he kept continuing on, "... And before you or anyone says that I'm a grown man and that I should know better to be so scared about such a thing like a 'nightmare' but still... Still I-it scared me... Terrifying..."

"Mind telling me more about it? If that's fine with you though?" She didn't do a thing that he worried she might do as he simply nods.

"Okay, I'll try a-and remember..." Then Tim goes on to explain in full detail about his dreams and somewhat with more discreet information with his past life and how he's gotten himself tangled up in serious shit relating to the forest where he was found a week prior.

She went on to reply right then after hearing his half true story and half hidden not needing to be known to the public eye. "Oh, dear so, there was a lot more on you then I ever imagined. So many saddening thoughts I never wanted to see as true..." A sigh left her thin aging lips with a hand rubbing down her wrinkly face, "... Thought I wouldn't have to deal with yet another sorry soul. Not with the last being so tragic but no worries, I'm still at it with making absolutely sure you're fine"

"What do you mean? There were others beside me you treated on coming from the woods?"

Was it a bad or good thing he didn't know with her having the past experiences of dealing with people like him most likely not there anymore for worrisome reasons?  
"It's nothing for you to worry about. I just lost someone so dear to my heart, that's all..." A hand brushes through his messy dark locks, "... If my late husband wasn't so stupidly stubborn like you then he'll would've made it through that attack with it? Yet he didn't and sometimes when I saw you for the first time and so on from then you looked and sound just like him"

A little creeped out Tim was then awkwardly staring over the living room for any way he could break away from this conversation with a most likely senile old woman whom may think of him as a possible recantation of her supposedly late husband, "...Sorry but I'm not him if you, y'know need to know that or some shit?"

"I know that, dear. Know he's dead and forever so until I fortunately meet him up again in heaven. Hopefully he's not doing anything up there that he shouldn't but if so, I'll deal with it when it comes" The lady went on to chuckle as Tim inches back in his seat, "I ain't crazy like you think I am sometimes?" Aged eyes glance to his own with lingering sadness where it felt like he should know something but he knew squat nothing like he does every day since he left. "When I hear your pissy grumpy voice it just reminds me of him even more when he was in your awful predicament too? Sorry if I rambled off from your important thing there..."

"Apologies for that and my behavior and all that too..." Guilt was then back at him when tearing up again to only be met with a motherly hand brushing them off his puffy cheeks.

When she, the woman allowing him to live in her own house, not even knowing who he was even if he may be a killer to which he was simply lets him stay with no extra charge. "It's fine. I understand where you're coming from. Losing the people, you care for is so awful" It was as he had no one there deep in his heart still alive or there with him at the moment. "Then again it matters more to have the people you have now there to support you through the hard times" His whole mood dampened from that as he did have someone there that go through this condition with him yet he not wanting to appear like a freak ran away from the only support he ever had in his whole life. Now he couldn't possibly take all his mistakes back as why would the other man back in the forest to ever forgave him for what he's done. It was disheartening when he with his own hands attempted to wipe away the waterworks happening to drenching his cheeks.

"... I. I just miss him... S-so. So much right n-now. His s-stupid messy, disheveled blond hair, caring eyes, and his stupid, dumb toothy smile..."


	13. Chapter 13

**7 Weeks**

Quite some time had passed by for the group of three proxies once taking their instantaneously, out of nowhere leave from the mansion located dab middle in the woods to go find their lost comrade. Although it was still silent between them, they can only ever hear throughout the walk out from the woods was the heavy, angered breathing coming from the blond. Someone that neither Kate and especially Toby who should've knew better to do what he done but did anyway never saw the boiling anger happening in their associate that they never seen such heated emotions. The tallest and oldest was never known for his anger more his overall calm to an almost embarrassing flirty attitude that comes along on some occasions when speaking up from his silent stance though mostly with his now supposedly long-gone partner. Yet another example to seeing the seething anger in Brian was him heavily stomping his boot clad feet against the dirt floor where he takes a quick, sharp turn and before long saw the very edge to the forest before his eyes a few good miles off.

"E-everything fine... Y-you. You don't have t-to y'know rush you're w-way through the forest? We'll g-get there and f-find Tim eventually?"

So, close so very fucking close Brian was to backhanding the other man yet didn't as his mind was so in wanting to find his partner, he'll put beating the shit out of Toby later. As much amusement and relaxation though little it may be to come when he will do such a thing to the younger male. All his attention will be on will be on the one who ran off in a fit of rage yet utterly distraught about their predicament and how he was going to be more supportive. No way will he allow the other man to do such an act to him once again and even if it may seem a little bit controlling he'll do whatever it takes to keep not only his lover but the 'parasite' within safe. .

"... No. Nothing right now is fine. Tim god knows where he is right now doing something maybe risky and I don't know fucking where that is so, anything can happen to him and I can't do shit about it?"

It was really getting at the tallest man like stated before as no way can his partner do something so reckless yet it's been a full-on week since everything had gone down been so downhill. Not like Tim to do anything that would jeopardize everyone else's life in if he were to tell anyone about the secrets in the forest no one's meant to know. Stupidity be at its finest if by the downfall to their murderous, unsettlement name built up for many years were to crumble by the way of one other proxy's revenge scheme gone horribly wrong. That was something Brian saw himself imagining where the front door to the mansion being slammed open by a boot and from there watch as a swarm of people in defense gears comes to take them one by one. From there he may never be able to see Tim again; someone he had built up such a strong connection turning into more of a depending on one another type relationship. May not be the best or healthiest way to go into a relationship but the two men really needed one another and Brian really would do anything to get back into the sense of security and happiness then be stuck in despair forever.

"Its... Its n-not like Tim from a-all people will go a-ahead and d-do. Do something so incredibly s-stupid or something l-like it?"

The only woman in the group nodded in agreement as Tim even when brash, hot headed and quite pissy yet wouldn't do such an unforgivable thing to them to get out from another toppling issue, "... He wouldn't, would he? Do something that get us taken and or put on death row?"

A tense sigh leaves his lips quirking into a deep, thin frown, "... I hope he isn't doing anything stupid out there. Wherever he is at the moment. Don't know but I will. It will be just a total nightmare if he hurts himself or... Or the baby inside him that didn't do anything, right? It didn't ask to be made or some shit like it..." Still although surprising himself greatly that he wanted the unexpected to really unwanted child to be alright however presently he was being rather unsure of it. The way Tim; love of his life 'til the very end horribly reacted to the news would've weaved him off the very path to keeping the child yet he was actually worried about the thing's well-being along with his partner. "... If I see that man do something dangerously stupid, I fucking swear I. I'll..." Soon he simply cuts himself off from further cursing out underneath his breath to almost downright dangerously threatening his dark-haired lover. No harm be brought to the man but Brian knew to the life to death antics he knows the other often does to make sure a job was done right or makes him appear good to the public eye. Sometimes he'll try to do anything to make sure his partner didn't do a thing to harm to his body and mind yet it never works in his favor.

"Back to the topic at hand here overall with Tim if he's currently out there telling everything about us out in the open? I just don't think him is that type of person to y'know rat us all out like that?" Kate finally speaks up to break him out from his current mindless trance, a small trace to the underlying worry was hidden by her cold, monotone voice, "He knows it wouldn't end all that well either for him like he thinks it be if he's actually does such a thing?"

The proxy known to be the right hand to the Slenderman with a stick up so far, his ass at even the best of times can't even swoop that low to be a snitch. "No. No, he wouldn't well, at least he'll have some mind to know if he was going to try to do such a thing it will bite him in the rear for it. Simply... Simply put he's probably trying to run away from it instead of blurting out shit to the cops?" A reasonable excuse, right as if anything were to be told what officer in their right mind would believe his lover in the slightest one bit. Most likely nobody would then like usual if they were to check up on past records to see what happened in the past with his partner and automatically lock the other up for whatever 'crime' or as they put it 'mentally unstable'. In itself that wouldn't go well either as Tim like himself mostly the other man really was a wanted man whereas he was a missing person long presumed dead by now. What may happen afterward was uncertain that from its alone Brian didn't like to imagine the possibilities to his partner going through ore hell. So, they really must be getting on the road and tracking the other proxy gone bonkers before it's too late to do anything.

"Y-yeah, they know t-too that he's carrying a-and he wouldn't w-w-want anyone knowing t-that about h-him?"

Toby had the nerve to say something once again after all this was mostly his fault to begin with and nothing would be like they are now if he didn't act like some rebelling child. Yet the blond wouldn't be able to do much of anything unless he or Kate felt like ragging some extra baggage with them being the other man's bloody broken bones. Why would he want to put on more work on him where he already felt the extreme pressure pushing down to the point, he felt like completely snapping right then and there in front of the other two proxies. All that be given to him will be more issues for him to deal with and he was simply in no mood for anything else at the moment. Stress and then the unfortunate loneliness feeling were toppling on to his slopping shoulders as it is on a routine where no matter how much he tries to spice things up to keep things light hearted wasn't working to his favor.

"You'll shouldn't be saying anything about this matter? It has nothing to really do with you too much..." Brian bites back as the younger male receiving it immediately stumbles back where trembling a little held onto the raven-haired woman for support and to act like a shield from the anger. Over all around to him in his eyes was really truthfully pathetic when seeing how the arrogant, prank pulling and mostly idiotic proxy standing in front of him quickly shown fear. "...And then he'll be most likely to be experimented on by people in hospital which by the way he utterly hates to despise with his very core and do even more twisted shit, I know when we'll be caught by your fucking stupidity" A low growl was the only physical thing he can possibly do to show off his anger to the other man without it going too far as he saw the youngest back up a bit from him, "Sometimes you make me freaking surprised you made it this damn far without injuring or worse killing not only yourself for that matter then everyone else? But hell, from past experiences you already did so with your own fam-"

Just looking at Toby's resigned and fear-stricken expression laced in with a good amount of guilt was enough for Kate to cut through to get everything back in track, "Okay guys. Brian, cut this all out as we cannot do this, right now, right here. We still haven't gotten out of the woods yet and we've nothing to work on? Like we're going and with little information to where Tim is at the moment?"

It only resulted with the blonde, easily irritated male to deeply grunt in retaliation to not being able to give the youngest proxy a good tongue lashing when pushing his way past the two and taking the lead like he's done from almost the very start. "Alright... Let's just keep going then... The forest's borders cut off around here to some desolate, half done parking lot" After getting his anger in check, he takes in deep breathes then simply exhales it out through his flared nostrils. The calming technique used wasn't per say didn't work for his great favor as he more so drags the other two by their arm sleeves when glaring up ahead in an unfavorable hastily pace in having the proxies behind try to keep up as he wanted to get this assignment to achieving his lover back done in a short time span. Which in his relief in a matter of time his mind be preoccupied with something else and it only be long enough until the three reaches the very end to their destination with it being a parked, beaten up car seeing better days waiting for them in all its aged glory. "... Get in everyone. We need to get in some good distance and shit before it turns night. Already feel like he's probably gotten enough as it is and I. I just we need to get going before he... He gets too far..." Brian goes ahead to climbing in the front driver's seat to the car, not too soon after in the mirror's reflection he sees both proxies he dragged with him climb into their respective seats.

The car ride from then on was well, tiresome as it drove past an empty highway where every so and again another vehicle mostly large trucks speeds past them. All through the drive that was the most ever tensest rides imaginable for the group saying still quiet. Told quite easily by Brian instantly cutting everyone else mid-sentence from mere annoyed huffs and hushed, cursed mumbles not making it easier for the proxies to talk about anything. His hands were gripping tightly at the charred, ripped up wheel as he kept his eyes locked onto the road up ahead and not paying attention to anything around him in his surroundings. It was tunnel vision had overwhelmed him completely that he wasn't caring if he was weaving in the middle of the road close enough to hitting someone who was stupid enough to be walking even at the edge to the highway in the first place?

"Brian. I know you're upset in all but slow down and how about steading the driving a bit, okay?"

Pale, cold eyes were taken off to the road to stare sternly at the raven woman sitting next to him in the passenger seat where he simply replies, "I'm driving the speed limit this highway allows so, please we don't have enough time as it is before it goes dark"

Not enough time and he already wasted enough; a full week before taking this all into his hands. Stupid was what he was for not doing something sooner from the way beginning where he should've even if not the smart move made the other man stay at the cabin with him. So, they can be able to talk like civil adults over the important matters they were made to think about now. How he'll tell the other that he will be there throughout it all and would not lay a finger or even say one wrong word against anything to him. However, everything was out of whack where he was left unable to be supportive to his often emotionally constipated lover dealt with newfound emotions all flooding at once too much to possibly bear.

"... Um, okay but still, Brian. I get it that you miss Tim in all but don't get yourself and us killed trying to get him back"

A twinge of guilt came over to him upon seeing how someone like Kate was actually worried about not only her own well-being but her fellow proxies. Sweet that she although appears to be more animal and predatory then human still had those humanlike emotions to her yet right now it didn't matter.

"... You. You don't get it. No one really does... And I'll slow down a bit for you guys since its 'too fast' for you guys now"

True, nobody can even unravel or then even think to understand their relationship in a more detailed way. A relationship that may not be completely the best ones out there but in his eyes and what he thought be Tim's too that they did truly love one another. Once he finds the other it would be something heart clenching where from the whole week lost between them, he will ask why his lover won't speak to him about the matter. Then in his response to have been repeated on an endless repeat in his head for man days he'll say that he was going to be there if Tim liked it or not. As well, never let the love of his life ever leave his sight ever again and make absolutely sure nothing like this can happen once again.

From there he hears barely the annoyed huff come from behind him in the backseat which he couldn't help to swallow the upcoming growl from being emitted. It didn't work as he lowers his head to block everything to everyone else out from the world when grunting out his irritancy. Shut out from the world around him, he began to wonder once again went to imagine how he felt away back when being in the arms of his lover. A lover although was drowned out by the forced nature to the whatever drug it was that been laced in his drink which made one so lusting for love neither one knew to the consequences. Now here they are mostly Brian being the one dealing with what he felt was the brunt of it where Tim in question was possibly living a little better off.

Okay, maybe not entirely well off as the other man was dealing with possibly much more then he in terms to growing another life within him. Oh, how it must not be a pleasurable experience for a guy like his partner known to be very, very self-defensive about his appearance to see his body changing against his will. It made the blond completely rethink his own reaction to it then scold himself to how he was so oblivious to what would happen to them when Slender understand the complication and how he'll react to one proxy being knocked up. Once they were to return with Tim by their side an obvious punishment will be given to mostly his partner but him as well for not being up to par in keeping the other in check. Not a pretty image to be all honest as hell, he wouldn't think either one of them would make it out alive this time around as this got to be the millionth time in a row when Tim ran off.

Then to his annoyance he hears the leathery seats in the backseats squeaking where he looks at the mirror to see the youngest proxy shifting in his seat, "... When a-are we going to s-stop? It feels like an eternity I-in here a-and. And I d-don't think the car is meant t-to be making that sound?" Toby childishly whines about how long the trip was even when they had just started driving a mere half hour to hour ago.

"... Don't know fucking when so, shut it for like five minutes okay, dumbass?"

It wasn't until he makes another hiss like noise when another sound overrides him in the form of something being seriously wrong.

"Should we um, should we check what that sound is coming from? I. I don't think it's a good sound really" Kate askes, worry washes over her face upon hearing the clanking noise persist somewhere in the car. It was an old car and of course, would not, not have its trouble due to its age not in all its glory. This one noise coming from the beaten vehicle completely did and Brian although pissed the well fuck off was really worried about it. Yet it did although continue on like this for some while until stopping when time had turned night where the sun long ago disappeared from the sky with the moon replacing it. Once it was night though the blond continued to drive even when being asked if he wanted to take a break which he always declined the offer.

Eyes were droopy and growing heavy with each and every passing second but when that occurred, he yanks his head back to stay awake. Exhaustion was creeping back its ugly head past the corner then going ahead to tormenting him with little to no mercy. A bit keeping him awake sort of awake was when he felt the car wave off to the edge almost close to hitting a tree. All came to a crashing halt when hearing that annoying as hell noise returning back to now haunt him. "Huh? Wha- What the hell...?" Gray smoke appears in front to the car that with his tired eyes he saw instantly when actually hearing the car coughing up a lung similar in sound to his lover after smoking heavily after having a quick smoke break.

"... M-man... Shit, Brian what d-did you do n-now...?" Toby slowly wakes up to watch the scene at hand as the car was forced to park at the side.

"Fucking shut up... I'll check it out myself. Both Kate and your dumbass are staying in the damn car when I do this, okay?"

In a flash the belt unbuckled and then the backseat door quickly opened and closed behind a irritate twitching proxy riddled with lack of sleep, "... Can y-you like not t-treat me like I-I'm a dumbass h-here? I. I know w-what I d-did wasn't r-r-right but give m-me a break or something? I d-didn't mean to... O-okay maybe a little but I wasn't expecting this t-to happen, alright with Tim running o-off on us... Y-you?"

"You are so though to me now at the least? Should've known you would've done something this incredibly stupid by now as I instead of being lenient and on your side often could've beaten your ass for it?"

"... Ssshit... I. I didn't mean t-to... I'm saying t-that I'm sorry..."

"You're a dumb ass retard who should've died in that fucking car crash instead of your sister. At least the world would've been better off with her then you..." A thing to what he said must've hit a nerve as Toby rolls his eyes and almost shut the car's cover on top his fingers in anger.

"Oh s-shut up?! You... You d-don't k-k-know anything?!" Flooding in were the younger male's past issues alongside some nasty mental ones at full force for Brian to see, "It's not o-one for y-you to talk a-as you and mostly T-Tim killed everyone you g-guys c-cared for?!"

Then hell went loose completely as the taller male broke from keeping back his wrath went ahead to slamming the spastic young adult on the car. Even when he, himself said something that easily crossed a line for the other there was no need, at all for the one who was the one to cause this to say anything in response. "... If I were to simply murder you right here and now it might make my life easier..." A threat came and exits his lips turned into a deep frown where he was close enough in doing it since Kate who was keeping the two men apart for most of the trip can't stops this when still fast asleep in the broken car. "... Should've done it or at least shown you your fucking place before this where I wouldn't have to deal with your consequences for you...?" Which when alone with Toby without the woman there was no sense in him anymore when he wraps his stronger hands around the thin, noodle like neck. It would've stayed like this with Brian taking the life from the male below him as he pushes all his strength in choking out the male where it allowed him for the most part to unleash all his bottled-up emotions.

Eventually before a nasty brawl were to go on a feminine country voice interjects herself midway into the proxy's conversation, "...Hello? See you having car problems here and I don't think strangling your friend here for the sake of it? So, would you need a ride or something to somewhere?"

"Huh? And who are you?" Brian growls at the female stranger, hands holding onto the collar of Toby's shirt instantly let go to the younger male's relief.

"Delanie is the name. Its nighttime here if you can't tell, heh and I see that your guys are... Um, very much in the shits from what I can see and all I want to do is give out a helping hand?" She was a babbler from what Brian can instantly tell off the bat but seems to be a good person at heart willing to help them in their time of need even when total, off putting strangers, "... As well near my place is a mechanic where in the morning can see your guy's car and hopefully fix it for a reasonable time and place?"

"... Uh, you must be kind of naïve and obliviously stupid to offer such a thing to a bunch of strangers like us you don't know or you're generally kind or some shit like it?"

"Y-yeah. A certain s-someone trying t-to strangle m-!?" A hand came in contact harshly against the back of the proxy's head, "... Ow...?!"

"May be but from driving on ways back behind you even I can see that the car wouldn't have made it too much longer?" The stranger rambled off as she sees someone else from the passenger seat to the car groggily climb out with a hushed curse, "... Just offering here, may be a little to blunt here and I get that as I see you guys are pretty tired and in need of some help?"

Right now, Brian couldn't care less if there was some odd stranger asking if everything was alright in what appears to be her normal chatter boxy way. It gave the women some charm and as well, describing her to him that she doesn't pose too much of a threat when letting people who she barely knows a ride to her place. "... We take your offer if you give us a place of stay or something in return with maybe some food too?" She nodded, another great plus resulting in him sighing in relief while the other two were at odd with him in the confused looks alone. After a few moments to reassuring the proxies by his side, more so telling them to get into the woman's truck or they be much better left on the highway until whenever he may return. It wasn't until all were inside the more spacious vehicle that Brian knew what he was getting himself into when running a hand through his messy hair while staring out of the window as they all drove off to the stranger's house.


	14. Chapter 14

**7 Weeks**

Why must the car break down in the middle of nowhere on the highway at the ungodliest hours imaginable. Then to have that shitty, run down car be full of assholes mostly Toby who now he can better understand then to ignore why his lover long gone never liked the guy even at the start. Strangle the life out of the one that did this to him worse his love dealing the most pains were persistently on his mind and sadly, it happened when they were stranded with nothing to help. Thankfully to the other two proxy's relief there was a kind hearted or dumb stranger willing to give out a helping hand in their time of need even Kate had to admit that she was amazed by it. It may have not been the greatest idea to start this man hunt when simply he could've listened to his boss saying that his partner would be back in no time yet he never listens.

This was a stranger here after all that may have been just as bad as they who can easily do worse or if luck was on their side for the most part yet they can have extra baggage if things didn't go to plan. Right now, he didn't feel like being apart to taking care of a hostage then a dead body if she were to fight against them upon realizing their true identities. Something the blond was absolutely fearing to this very moment as not a god damn one of them wasn't unrecognizable to the naked eye; they were hardened criminals that did horrible things to mostly innocent people getting too curious for their own good. She may be not be giving them a ride to her house for some needed rest but maybe more likely turning them into the police station where he be further separated from his love. A total nightmare in all honesty, something he didn't ever want to endure ever again being the horrendous separation anxiety that when walking behind the stranger was spiking up.

Stress was at a new time high where nothing like his coping mechanisms used weren't helping in the slightest. Now he was ever so slightly bending over with arms tightly wrapped around his flat stomach that was coiling in itself. Close to becoming sick to his gut, he followed suit in swallowing the heavy, slimy and gross goopy lump down his tensing throat. As he moves the words to reassurance was repeated in his head saying that he couldn't do this where everyone as watching and he'll surely disappoint Tim. Sure, he should feel something like anger, sadness and etc. But he didn't want to express anything that made him feel so badly weak. The man that was him was a proxy for Zalgo's sake and yet here was close enough to having a panic attack.

From there all those pent-up emotions being held back was lashing out in his head as he lets out a weakened groan, _'Fucking C hrist, Tim... Where are you? Why must you always be a god damn ass with us, no me of all fucking people? What are you even doing as I fucking ramble like a mad man over you? When I do get my damn hands on you, I'll swear I make you regret your dumbass choices...' _

Even if it may sound like a weaken threat, not to be done against the man he loved with his whole hear it was very much true in other aspects. How he was so angry with the other male that didn't even bother whatsoever to talk further about this rather important conversation. This whole thing could've been settled in a different way where no one he can make sure of it wouldn't be hurt. Hey, maybe even realize that the situation had now forced onto them wasn't that terribly bad though this wasn't what they; mostly Tim wanted in their lives. The blond is always going to at least try to be the most supportive to his partner in his own unique ways when the other male unfortunately began to swell up in size.

All Brian can think right now at his very moment is what his partner will say or do about himself and the drastic changes happening to his unwilling body. How the both of them were going to deal with those changes are unbeknownst right now but he'll try his absolute best in being supportive. That's all that he can really do in this sort of situation where control was taken away from underneath them with little say in what they wanted which wasn't this at all. Yet they couldn't do anything about, not matter how hard he sees his dear love attempt to get rid of all their troubles in one way or another. Soon it wasn't too long until he hears his partner's voice speak up in his head although he knows it was his mind playing games to him due to sleep deprivation it was nice to hear the other man once again.

_'... D-do. Do I look disgustingly fat to you um, I think so, and it's okay to think so, right…?' _

Even when the blonde male hears the voice to his lover in the nearing future that may not be the exact words ask him such a thing, he couldn't help it to sympathetically cringe. It's always be a proven fact that Tim had some self-confidence issues with how he is on the outside; inside as well and how the world sees him that was troublesome. Always had the other dealt with the lack of confidence in one's self although he tried his best to say the opposite the man with said issues. It never felt like anything he does or him in general was ever enough for the one he loves to think or comprehend that there was nothing wrong with how he looks down to the way he appears to everyone. A thing that shouldn't really have mattered too much in the first place as the only thing that does is what the man perceived of himself and the world around him that can be so judgmental even at the best times.

_'... Look at me though and all these fat rolls I'm attaining? I'll b-be a beached whale soon unable to move around they're sucking the life out of me... Why must this be happening to me of all people…?' _

No matter those changes to seeing his love getting a little more noticeably round in the middle then everywhere else and he wouldn't say this word out loud but plump. It won't change a thing between the two of them as he'll forever love the man who he considered more than a best friend even when first meeting up with the other. As he saw his partner for the first time back where nothing like this happened the way the messy dark-haired male with heavy bags underneath those tired, weary eyes went ahead to awkwardly stumbles about with a bit of uncertainty in his step, he couldn't help to remembers it with fondness. Faint memories from then on in the far-off past reappears in tenfold that made him though not entirely tear up yet thankfully he manages to wipe the small, barely noticeable tears forming in the corner of his eye to not be seen by anyone else.

_'... I don't know why you love me? I'm no good, Bri ? All I am is a lying, manipulative murderer here so, no one shoud love me, not even you …?' _

Of course, other people would think the man as such if they were to know the very illegal activities done that can easily land you in prison on either life or the death sentence but it wasn't so with Brian. Then that was an issue within itself that no on back in the mansion would want to deal with at the moment especially him nor his missing lover on a tangent to the unique condition bringing in another life into the world. Maybe he would've better understand where his lover was getting at if they were to have a proper, civil conversation back at the cabin during that night where they found out about the sudden news. No, now they couldn't since the other man decided to run off with emotions running high that doing so wasn't at all whatsoever was helping the matter. Once he finds the man, he gets to finally have a word or more on how this had to be the stupidest thing he had to do in order to get his love to come back alongside that running off to god knows where wasn't either the smartest moves.

Exhaustion creeps up on him where the long drive, argument turned from verbal to physical with Toby then lastly, having to get 'help' with someone who no one like them knew was getting the better of him. As the three proxy group climbs into the pickup Brian heaves a tired, annoyed grunt when plopping himself down in the passenger seat next to the supposed kind stranger. The woman he never met before just now that is must've been the stupidest person alive besides Toby. Mr. Twitchy Retard couldn't have anyone surpass him and his immense stupidity, the blond knew that but she; the driver that is was a competitor for it. Maybe she can even beat the youngest male in total obliviousness instead as she really didn't know what she's getting herself or her family into by her choices. Yet she was much kinder than anyone else in the car here so, he wouldn't harm her or anyone else that is her family doing nothing wrong for that matter if they were kindly helping him find his missing lover.

Someone who was so mentally and now physically unstable to even support himself is now on the loose possibly doing whatever batshit crazy stuff. God, right now Brian if he found the other alive and well was to just strangle the life out of his partner yet he would've in the end resisted that urge in doing it as he knew how to hold back upon knowing it would only do great harm. Not only to the man himself but the smaller, more delicate life that's living within which never asked to be made in a world like this one that can be so unforgiven. But still there was the anger seeping through his already sweat coated pores that wanted to be taken out even more than earlier where he allows it to be seen however having itself directed towards the man that left him alone with conflicted feelings and thoughts. Something caused by this unexpected, life changing event neither had really expected in the slightest that should've dealt with much better than them acting like children now expecting one in many months' time.

"... So, you're saying you wouldn't mind picking up a bunch of strangers in the middle of the night?"

It had to be asked as Brian wouldn't have done such a thing himself if he was in the stranger's shoes. If he was in more detail then he would've drove right on past chuckling to himself over the stranger's stupidity though hoped for the best for them and their travels. No harm would he want to give to the ones stranded even if he was laughing over it where he couldn't help it to sour his mood a little when imagining doing so with his love by his side in the passenger seat to some random, working car. Dark, sparkling eyes glancing over to him with the biggest smile in the world that can brighten anyone's day especially his however, not today where it stung deep in his core. That image will never ever leave his head no matter what as he cracks a weak, sad smile from it, hand creeping towards the seat where his partner sat beside him yet something stopped him.

"Just did to do it, I guess?" The woman in the driver's seat chuckles as she finally responds; interrupting his mental images to his out of the blue question like it was nothing. An annoying chuckle that held such true emotions behind it got him to scrunch his face that he was no longer hearing his love's chuckling dying out in his head. How she can be so carefree and almost dang oblivious that she's driving a bunch of random killers in her truck. Somehow, he was far by amazed by it with her when resting his head on his hand. "And well, it wouldn't be entirely safe or whatever if you guys were all alone on the side of a highway with a broken-down car in the dark night like tonight?" It can be greatly taken to note she had no clue in all honesty what she was doing with these unknown strangers who was out to take back to the infamous forest a runaway rouge carrying something so unique down to inhumanely impossible. Left Brian wondering if he should be more disgusted or something else about the matter yet this was someone he cared truly so, he couldn't feel such a way.

Soon he just mentally says fuck it when deciding to go morbidly dark with what he replies next where no care was evident, "Still don't know who we're are here? I can easily rob you right now hell, do worse if I so please then just take your truck"

Then the shaggy blond haired heard a loud, flustered squeal coming from behind him in the backseat, "B-Brian?!" Surprisingly enough which was sarcastically spoken of course, was Toby who covered his mouth after the outburst. His eyes rolled as he lets out an irritated huff in his response that he was justified in saying what was on his mind. The raven woman sitting beside the youngest male looked just as shocked similar to him when not believing what the hooded man just said. "...You! Y-you can't say that?!" Toby squeaks like a further frightened animal that saw or heard something causing him to coil up into himself with utter fear huddled up against the other proxy by his side. What that did only got the blond in question to roll his eyes over it when staring long and hard at the helpful stranger whom nervously smiles back.

"Yeah..." Kate pipes with her own thing, he wasn't paying attention to her in order to ease the tension within the four in the confided area that was the truck, "... You can't say that shit man. She's giving us a free ride here which she didn't have to and I have to say thanks for it then having to put up with us"

"Just saying it. I have my reasons to be like this" Brian replies coldly like before, dull in his emotions he felt the entirely different case for the stranger tightening her hold on the wheel while making a turn. "You know why full on well. I'm allowed to feel the way I do because this is your fault" His words directing themselves towards the youngest proxy and in response the other man looks away. Even when the reaction given somewhat satisfied him to a point it still gave him all the more reason to lash out even more at the cause to his partner and his troubles. There was no reason to get into another argument with the kid as he felt the growing irritancy in the form of a pounding headache starting to appear. "No back with you. I can do this shit as you don't know who I am. Why must you be so gullibly nice to us? It's only going to get you hurt in the end, y'know?" He forces himself to ask with the migraine making it difficult for him to think clearly without losing focus and consciousness for a millisecond.

"As I said, sir I only did this to be nice mostly that is. I could've left you on the side of the highway like that with a broken-down car in the nighttime but didn't as it wouldn't be nice of me. Only thing else besides being helpful of course, was that I didn't want to hear it in the news later on when the cops find three new bodies out there"

Once hearing that Brian perks up from his sleepy, irate self to look up at the woman with a strange look on his tired face. "Huh?" Although he didn't want to appear dumbly curious, he tilted his head in complete confusion, "What do you mean?" He asks, ready to put up a decent fight if it came to that when the stranger looks over to him and the two in the backseat just as confused as he over it.

"Oh, sorry for the rambling. Sometimes I do that with people and when I'm feeling pretty tired and lackluster myself" A sigh past her lips before continuing on interjecting whatever the others were going to say.

"Getting off the topic here somewhat is what you're doing driving in the middle of the night for? Nothing should be open at this time?" Kate was the one to replies for the blond man couldn't bother.

"... You're right for the most part but there's a few places here that's thankfully open twenty-four hours only closed for holidays sometimes but the drive for those places are hell a long way to my distaste. Other than that, small inconvenience, what I'm trying to say here with you is this highway or anywhere near this forest isn't exactly safe for any lone travelers like yourself"

"W-we can easily t-take care of ourselves, really. You just d-don't know who we a-are..." A stuttering voice mumbles as he were to think the woman imagines none of them were capable; they were very much in fact yet before he can speak more on the subject a pair of icy eyes in the front passenger seat glares him down in the mirror, "... Never m-mind... Sorry"

A sigh came from the blond this time when shifting in his seat in the cramped car to get a better look at the young man in the back to mutter silently to the other to basically shut it or else. "We get it. Thanks for worrying about us but there's no reason for it. As dipshit said behind me, we have a lot more fight in us then you expect" Moving his eyes away from the male submissively casting those naive eyes to the window Brian replies again with nonexistent feelings beside the pounding headache making his voice waver a bit. "I most of all then these two here seen so much shit it's not even something you can easily shrug your shoulders at or think on it as nothing anymore so, please you shouldn't be worrying. It gets you literally nowhere" As drab and rather edgy as that sounded, he meant it since curiosity or hell even the kindness of your heart can get you killed in the real, unforgiving world. Everyone in that truck knew that from past experiences and their change to expression shown that disdain with life not ending up like they wanted it. Enough time past where nothing was said afterwards with everyone including the woman getting the drift to not ask more questions or give out worries that was supposedly driving the three to her home or most likely another place to stay for the time being until their car was patched up stops in front of a CVS.

"... W-w. Why are we a-at a CVS f-for?" Toby asked the woman driving from shear curiosity getting at him alongside in having to stay quiet for so long, more than what he's accustomed to so for himself it was a nice breather, "I t-thought we were l-li-like going directly to some place o-or shit?"

"We are but maybe I shoulda said something about this to you guys earlier. I need to stop here for some medication"

"Meds f-for what? Are you c-crazy o-or what?" A harsh slap to the back of the head was given to the man by the raven-haired proxy with a soft, scratchy yelp coming from him.

Though it came to a surprise for everyone when the woman began to laugh a little seemingly to not be disturbed by the random question. "... No. No, it ain't for me. I'll go crazy, yes if I have to keep on driving at this time for my family yet they need it to live" Laughter died down as she wipes the small tears forming in her eyes when unbuckling the seatbelt and opening the truck door. "However, just getting something simple this time around which does annoy me. Pain relivers is what I call them but they go by ibuprofen, right?" She asks the others where they nodded all quietly in agreement and she shakes her head back in agreement. Then climbing out the truck it shook then a loud rattle came from the way back getting Toby curious and moving around to see a folded wheelchair. "... Oh that. Don't worry about that. It's the wheelchair we use for someone who's staying at our place for some time like you guys almost, really? That's even the reason why I'm getting all these medicines for in the first place" Began to ramble off she didn't care too much if she was telling total stranger to some private matters that was from another complete anonymous person, she didn't know these ones were trying to find where in her truck, "The guy isn't well I must admit. Sad it is and if you saw him, you'll understand. Guy got into a nasty fall. Fell into a beartrap in the forest. Says he was running away from something and mumbling incoherently about 'him' and needing to get away before it's too late. Here I am again rambling off, sorry. I'll be right back" Before the others can speak, she takes out the keys proceeding to close her door while entering the store.

Time came past when the woman left and Brian was fumbling with what to even say in return. "... She can sure talk, can't she...?" He manages to reply, hand running through his shaggy, disheveled mess that was his hair. "... But when she said that. The last part I feel something is off like I should know what it is and what it means? The... The familiarity or whatever its bringing is driving me crazy..." No one else responded back to him, something that he was glad for yet annoyed at the same time since he was growing all the more frustrated meanwhile the questions in his head. Maybe he can do what Toby does though smarter like and question the nice stranger more about the man needing to the wheelchair in the back, medicine while staying at her place. "I'm going to ask her what's the guy's name is" He blurts out randomly as he felt a cold hand awkwardly move onto his shoulder where he tenses up, soon as he turns light eyes meet worried ones.

It was Kate thankfully as if Toby were to touch him at a moment like this, he'll surely punch the kid directly in the face, "... Are you sure this is what you should do? Seems like a private matter with the woman and I'm not really in the mood to get into some serious trouble over this for you to figure out where Tim is?"

"I. I get it that what I may be doing is illogical yet I need to know where Tim is. Won't live with myself if something were to happen to him and. And them..." When he mentioned them, the other proxies knew that he was referencing to and didn't say anything about it as he continues, "... That I... We could've prevented much earlier on. All I need to know is who this guy's name is? It may be very, very random here but it's just a silly question aching to be asked and maybe the guy is him"

"... M-maybe. Maybe n-not. How are w-we going to find Tim with asking questions l-l-like this?"

"It's just a start, Toby. At least it's something to go off on... I'm just tired of everything going on and I need this. I need Tim back in my life again one way or another if he likes it or not"

"... I just can't believe we're doing this? We're in some woman's car we don't even know going somewhere not known. I'm so unsure of this," The most silent between the three lets out a groan, not understanding how her day became like this trapped figuratively in a place so closed off and so stuffy.

"... Don't know myself..."

Everything gone quiet in the truck parked in front to some random CVS; Brian moving around where his droopy eyes stares blankly ahead in the foggy distance with the two in the back simply fiddled their thumbs. All were waiting for the woman to come back from her short trip to the store for the medicine needed for the mysterious stranger desperately needing to them. However, he wasn't given much time to his favor as the said trip was short lived upon watching the woman exit the building hands full with the plastic bag. Fear as now swelling up in his chest that no matter what is said from either Kare or Toby didn't help cease the worries. As the helpful stranger climbs back in he looks at here a tad too long when she returns with an unsettled look.

"... Sorry for staring. Only want to say something. I know this may be a bit personal but can I ask you a question?" He asked.

An eyebrow was raised from the woman as she slowly with hesitance nods, "Sure, go ahead. I'm all ears and nothing can really upset me too much"

"What's the guy needing all this shit's name? Curious that's all"

"Oh... Um, the guy's name is Tim? He wouldn't disclose anything else more about himself. I can understand that to some degree. People can be super secretive nowadays" She answers back with no shame nor holding back to his relief.

"Tim, huh? Interesting to know. Thanks"

Furthermore, Brian was absolute sure of himself he's going down the right path in finding his love after being separated from the other for a whole, painful week. A pair of hands roughly rubs down his face in response while heaving out a heavy cough. Where almost smugly but that was half and half with exaggeration, he leans back in his seat, eyes needing the rest closes for some shut eye. Only until they reach their destination where he'll may find his love will he finally unleash the bottled-up emotions had from the past to the other where there has to be words said left unspoken the last time. Besides that, it was getting him giddy to feel the shorter male in his arms again despite their issues leading to more drastic ones in the future.


	15. Chapter 15

**7 Weeks**

However long it takes to be there again in the same presence to the other man he's grown so close to over the years, Brian wouldn't mind the awful sleep deprivation. A total lie somewhat was told there as he felt like utter shit at the moment and when he wanted to stay awake for the whole right it can't be done. What he needed was to be fully alert without the urge to fall adrift every time he was to close his eyes. If he didn't sleep now, he wouldn't be able to put up a decent enough fight in both verbal and it had to be physical if Tim wasn't going to come back home. "... Wake me up, will you when we get there, 'kay...?" Although it was a difficult decision to make, not so much in all actuality as he soon hears a soft hum of understanding when he said it. As sleep was slowly succumbing in to his mind and body, dread down to other feelings replaced the lacking of sleep making it rather impossible to exactly fall asleep.

As his eyes were closed for some deserving shut eye he grimaces quickly after hearing his lover's voice ring in his ear, _'… Goodnight Bri. Hope something bites you hard in the ass tonight or whatever...'_ It was meant to be light hearted though from others it comes off harsh yet only he knew the warmth in that honey coated deep voice soothing him further into slumber. _'... I do love you though. Goodnight…'_ Strong arms would've protectively wrapped around his slender waist drawing himself closer to the other man pressing his back up against the other's chest who give him rough little nibbles at his already hickey covered skin. Then if he was lucky and the man, he loved dearly with his whole heart was in a pleasantly good mood he was to be given such a pleasurable night of being well, plainly put fucked raw by his lover. Pleasure often in that time rang throughout his entire body that spasmed continuously around his lover's hard cock. Now he felt nothing but complete and total soul shattering loneliness when most likely he be suffering with this suffering all by himself whereas his partner was most likely going through similar issues which may or may not be a little worse.

The dream he was currently in soon was becoming nothing then a dreamless one where once his eyes were shut the only thing he's met with the darkness and the occasional light passing through his lids by the lamps been driven by the vehicle. Nothing that he wasn't used to as every time he slept though at a time with the other making it bearable, he wasn't met with anything besides the foreboding darkness. Darkness he wasn't always or never will be comfortable in the slightest as it reminded him of the times when he was stuck during the toughest times imaginable in his life especially when long ago before all this happened when he's permeant 'til death a full-fledged proxy, he was left without much shame in the other's actions laying almost lifelessly on a stone-cold floor pressed up uncomfortably against his back frozen literally in terror. It brought in so many things at once and he never got over the fact in neither the past and hell, even now he regretted so many things and felt so ashamed over the choices done by everyone. What he done hadn't helped those issues either as what he possibly did only made things all the worse for everyone that graced his path yet he couldn't dare to imagine what Tim always thought on it. No matter, he thought as the past was the past which he needed to simply get over the fact that from the traumatizing, horrendous experiences he was stuck in this predicament with the other man he desired to have back at his side.

So, during the drive in that awfully cramped, stuffy truck seemingly to really be lasting on forever and ever as the blond-haired proxy was growing all the more annoyed by everything and it in general in trying to remain asleep for as long as he can manage. Exhaustion was an ugly thing to deal with that never made him in the greatest moods when dealt a bad hand in it often known to make him more so his partner in an exceptionally sour mood. Over the past few weeks without Tim by his side, he was much more irritable then usual which was uncommon for someone like him. In a good mask hiding his irritancy to a point often enough anyone else knowing him in whatever degree he allowed them to know would say all the same thing that he was probably one of the calmest, patient people in the whole wide world despite his job needing any brute force to snuff others out with ease. Yet the ones who didn't know him like the strange woman driving them back can easily describe him as someone who's close to blowing a fuse towards the one man deserving it or an oblivious idiot accidentally stumbled into his way by accident or naivety. Even if he says threatening things to her, she didn't seem bothered by it too much unless she's good in hiding the fear.

No body like her that knew about squat nothing about him and his person to life in unthinkable crime in the slightest shouldn't be so dang carefree without any fear in near sight where she's dumbly allowing him alongside his collages to be so close. Especially more so when they be in the strange woman's house with her family that if one wrong happens, he would give no shit in taking them out in order to take back his love who ran off and rather stupidly in fact. It was kind of irking the blond quite a bit, not helping the matters that he was already on edge with being separated from his partner for a long period of time. Something though he would've easily detected from years of perfectly trained skills of observation and gathering information, "... Ugh fucking ssshit. Take it easier a little bit, why dontcha you...?" A pained groan leaves his lips upon feeling a bump of the road cause the truck to jump up slightly in the air which left the seat to hit forcibly against his back. Then he feels that surge to a past injury in his back irritably pinching up like a pin cushion to the tensing, strained muscles. Sounds to him groaning was heard obviously when he hears the seat sat by the driver shift a little in recognition to his soured mood.

_'... Oh, um... s-shit... Sorry man...' _The voice in the driver's seat curses first then apologies later on for the little bump down the road and with shuts eyes, Brian manages to still roll them unnoticeably by anyone in growing annoyance by everything around him. No need to be bothered by this, he says to himself in his head just try to fall back asleep was all that he murmurs again when curling up in the seat. Anything that was on his mind besides his lover now so close to his fingertips was the medication he forgotten back at home at the cabin known to help give relief to his aching back. _'... So many bumps in the road, huh? Wonder if they're ever going to fix this...?' _Spoken up by the driver as he gave out another annoyed grunt basically saying for whoever trying to start a conversation to shut up for like a moment longer so, he can get at least a wink of sleep. It felt like he was never going to get any from the way's things are faring right now that's how much he knows when fluttering his eyes open and shut multiple times.

_'...Y-yeah... I wonder too?'_ Everyone else in the vehicle that were talking their heads off on something so minuscule he paid no mind to it as he allowed his mind to wander when they kept speaking as he slept his dreams were nothing but a foggy haze, _'... Do you think he'll be... Mad at us for being late…?'_ Anything they were to say as he slept literally nothing to him as what was spoken was barely heard by him. His mind became nothing more than a mindless state, no more fears, anxieties, and just over all new emotions driving him clearly up the wall. _'... Always mad and on edge recently...?'_ The second person replies seemingly more hesitant then the driver from what Brian can tell. As they kept up with their pointless conversation, he has a sudden twitch of remembrance over whatever the matter was yet pushed it back of his mind. Something about what they're talking about sent more than just a shiver but a forced tremor that seeped deeply into his bones where his spine clearly didn't like it.

_'... Maybe I should ask him what's wrong, yes…?' _

Continuing on the driver beside him spoke up in an itchy low voice that coughed here and there ever so often, _'... If you do that with him once we're there, I don't want any part in his tantrum ' _

A sigh was heard behind him by the other who sounded like by the exasperation needed the help in talking to the one with the serious yet mysterious anger issues, _'... O-oh, okay. That's fine. He may listen to me more so anyways...' _If Brian was to wake up though that wouldn't happen to see he knew the one behind shrugged his shoulders back.

During the time past nothing was said and he can now attempt to fall asleep this time without anything or anyone bothering him with such tedious things. It wasn't like he didn't like it when overhearing the conversation being held by the others in the car. A certain thing occurring frequently on whatever the bland talk was going on about seemed to be odd for him in his opinion yet he remained sound asleep for the most part with the occasional dip where he flutters his eyes open the shut again. Something from it gave him a shot of the past almost to the point he would've startled himself awake but why for as this right now, he thought was a mere conversation between his fellow proxies and the kind hearted stranger. Yet their voices weren't the same; it was completely different then who was with him previously as he noticed the changed off the bat and at the same time so familiar where he was so badly conflicted over it from that he can only scrunch his face up in growing confusion.

As the curiosity got too strong that's when he's about to openly without much care in saying a thing or two on how much unnecessary noise that was going on in the vehicle was not needed at least for the time being in the dead of night. Maybe when he wakes again, he can handle the overwhelming annoyances the world which was constantly giving him and not even at all in a discreet manner shit. The bumps in the road continued on with each and every one kept up with having his back hitting against the seat behind him. Another groan escapes his lips as he turns around to lay on his side where he was now facing the other besides him remaining silent with the occasional deep, gruff huff coming from the driver, not him and somewhat unlike the strange woman. Confused by the change in tone he wrinkles his nose while trying to figure out yet soon enough in the driver's seat the person spoke up again before he could ever manage to think on anything.

_'... I know how he gets, y'know ... Don't know what's his deal is as of late...' _It was a voice he knew too well coming to light, not bogged down by a static like sensation and it causes him to in a flash stiffen as the obnoxious road bumps no longer bothered him. The road bumps were like the only thing threatening to bring him back to the reality telling him he's dreaming as all this what's scaring him in not real. How can it be real as this c onversation had between the other two was much more hearable as he began to heavily cough into his trembling hand. This couldn't be happening to him; he was sleeping whereas this was a total dreamless nightmare as he flutters his eyes open. At first, he was slow in waking up as he didn't know what or most likely who he's going to be met with in the vehicle. _'... 'M too tired for this, guys. Really I am...' _Even if he didn't open his eyes or really desired to do so since he felt like he's hallucinating at the moment being.

_'...I know you are but it be all over soon, Tim. He's only got a few more scenes hopefully and it be all done .. .? ' _

The initial shock rattled his bones that he was shaking in his seat as this all had to be a horrendous dream turning slowly into a nightmare. His lover's name was being spoken on by someone else he didn't know was brought back from the dead. It was a complete scare for him to understand the situation happening around his pain-stricken body and conflicted mind. A man he was who was so broken and then shattering on to a million pieces in the cushiony seat to the car not feeling like the leather to the truck now. Next thing, he knew was to stay absolutely still upon smelling the familiar smoke breezing up past him from the person beside him smoking away likely a cigarette.

_'... What? This. This really, can't be happening. All a dream, right ? It's meant to be a dream here... None of this is fucking real. Fuck, am I hallucinating this shit that everyone I know is damn fine and dandy .. . ?' _He whispers to himself where he wanted what he's saying to all be nothing more than his fever dreams getting the better of him due to recent events, _'... It must be. Everyone is dead besides Tim and I? They're all... Dead. Can't be alive. This has to be a dream...' _

All that he can muster was a weakly made and obviously fearful whimper when instinctively curling up, _'... Fucking hope so... Mind waking up him while you're at it...' _What else didn't help was to feel a hand ice cold to the touch placed upon his tensed shoulder.

_'... Hey, Brian. We're almost there. Mind waking up...?' _Such as it is to hear the dead speak, he shudders then pulls away undeniably in fear as this can't be happening especially now. Hands clinging tightly at his sides, not wanting to be further touched by anyone in the car yet the hand kept 'prodding' him like the driver told them to in order to wake him. It kept occurring as he was gently nudged back and forth that it became a struggle for him to even stay quote unquote asleep for any longer. _'... Brian. C'mon wake up. I know you're awake...' _The supposedly deceased man replies again as they continue on like this for what seemed to last on forever and a day. His breathing was becoming erratic and cut rather short, unable to do much of anything he was trying to force himself awake and not in this sort of fucking circus trick playing mean spirited games to torment him for his nasty sins.

_'... Nice. He'll surely wake up by your gentle prodding, Jay. Y'know he's a heavy sleeper , right?' _The voice he can't help to keep his eyes screwed shut syas in a sarcastic tone which in reply by the other, _'He ain't going to wake up so, easily by that? Just nudge him awake a little bit harder next time' _

_'I know that and I just can't wake him... Why don't you try? You're his best friend in all?' _Came in a tired, given up response and an annoyed huff from the man in the driver's seat.

Soon another hand reaches toward him where he can see it coming through his eyelashes and he panicked, _'... Ugh, okay. I'll wake him up for you...' _Then to everyone else's surprise he 'wakes up' then immediately jerks away with wide eyes staring over at the pair.

Wide eyes glanced around erratically at the now changed surroundings where it wasn't the truck he was previously in and instead of the proxies and the woman this was a smaller vehicle with old friends including Tim furrowing his brows together in shear confusion. The dark-haired male gave him a quizzical look that almost made him want to melt a little from his tense nature yet from seeing the man in the backseat for the first time in like an entirety he stiffened up. A sight he regretted witnessing with his own eyes, he wished whole heartily to take it back to lessen the drawn-out moments given where his heart skipped a few beats as he glances at an old friend of the past. It was haunting to see when trying to pull his gaze away even if it was impossible to do so, his curiosity got in the way along with the nagging guilt building in his gut. Eyes were boring in the back of his skull most likely coming from his partner who back then was only what he can have easily called a best friend as his line of sight was stuck at the blood-soaked man once prodding at him given a worried look.

_'... Hey, Brian...' _The droopy eyed male awkwardly chuckled at his what they call a silly reaction to being wakened up from a restful slumber, _'... Heh, you r kind of um, look like you've seen a ghost, right now...?' _

What he's witnessing was inhumanly abnormal is messing his mind big time as he couldn't pry his eyes off even if he desperately tried doing so to lessen the ache in his chest , _'... I am though. You shouldn't even be here...' _He mutters underneath his stilled breath when brushing a hand shakily through his hair in an attempt to die the image permanently staining his brain. This can't be happening as he feels his breathing getting worse when dealing with the constant flashes in his line of sight the bloody images to all his past friends all dead with some crimson colored substance on his hands. Breathing got quicker and shorter which must've gotten the other's attention real fast when feeling their eyes merely lifeless continue to stare down at him like he's doing something terribly wrong. Close to having a horrible panic attack in front of them, he didn't want to as he needed to have a clear state of mind when dealing with all this shit spewing out on him all at once. As he goes back in circles in closing his eyes then opening them up again, he's always met with their curious expressions looking down at him like he was slowly going crazy right in front of them like a mad man.

_'... You're alright over there? Why aren't you saying anything to me? Is there something um, on my face…?' _Then he goes to watch on quietly as the man raises a hand up to his face peculiarly in order to see if there was indeed something on his face being quite a scare to his friend.

Yet there was more than just one reason why he's scared out of his very mind and it was seeing an old friend caked in old blood appearing ghostly but acting like nothing went wrong and it was like any other day. Uselessly sitting there in the passenger seat in a car he hadn't been in for many years the blond didn't know what to say or even do when gawking in total confusion over his completely new surroundings. All were a shock and nothing around him was doing anything to ease his growing worries so, he began to scratch at his arm whereas his eyes stood still in watching the supposed to be dead man cocking his head to the side. The dried blood or most of it had gathered around the other man's middle chipping off the crinkly clothes as well, dripping a bit from the thin lips quirked into a surprised frown. How was the male with the gunshot to a vital artery not be enduring any sort of the usual pain from the said injury to his side like that without showing a wince or anything expressing such emotions like fear of death or what comes after it?

It is pretty much impossible as he's been in similar pain somewhat that left him actually crying out or what he was really doing just crying in the feeling. The way his old friend was watching him was nothing more the sad pity as if he was some grungy mutt they allowed in the car and to sleep there undisturbed during the ride. What he was meant to appear to them was a star as another past friend told him to be when the little movie had started up when everyone was oblivious to the dangers laying ahead. His eyes kept widening until there was nothing more, he can due to other then blink repeatedly when it became too much to keep them wide awake. Brian had his whys to staring as this man in the backseat looking like utter shit on death's doorstop was appearing if it wasn't the case and he was the one they should be taking out their time to worry on.

His attention sprang from one person to another quite quickly as the car he's in made an abrupt stop, _'... We're here...' _Driver spoke up in a deadpan tone as Brian sprang up more than before and stares over at the love of his life dully staring up ahead at a building, they were now currently parked in front of about to get out. The man unbuckling his seatbelt besides him looked so odd since it felt like a blast of the past for the blond in witnessing the ugly multi colored shirt, not knowing if the other had kept it all these years still being worn as a cigarette was loose in his mouth. His voice remaining gruff as ever had that nice tinge of genuine concern and worry not hidden back by trauma and Brian wanted to hear more as his gaze looked downwards at the man's flat stomach, _'... Brian? You're alright over there? If you aren't feeling well then we can tell Alex about I- Huh?!' _Soon the hooded proxy quickly lands his hand on top of his best friend's midsection earning a surprised squeak from the darker haired counterpart and some shock to him as well, he didn't feel anything underneath his palm. It won't be too long until he found his hand on the area taken off by the other who shyly opens the door alongside the man behind him that didn't say a thing on the matter. _'... Okay then. I'll say that you... Um, not feeling too well...?' _ Says the man when walking up to the doors to the place where all three can hear the annoyed sigh none of them made but another waiting for them and he couldn't believe either his own eyes on what he saw next.

_'... You_ _guys are late. Where were you'll anyways…?'_

It was Alex but like Jay there was noticeable serious injuries adorned on his neck making him choke out the angered reaction to their tardiness. Blood like the others were dripping heavily from the injured area that stained whatever cleaned clothes worn by the hot head. A heated argument transpires between the three men leaving him to wander there in the sidelines for a while. In the corner of his sight he sees another set of familiars standing there in the background mostly with unreadable expressions; literally he thought he's seeing shit as their faces was covered in static. They were chuckling then a loud bark surrounding them and ran around in circles over one as another tried to read a script long forgotten, nothing like that cheesy thing can make him crack a smile. Why would he be cracking a grin at this when turning around to face the men where he can see Tim puffing out a gust of smoke into the gangly looking man appearing so peeved by the shit along that was holding something quite dangerous in his hand.

_'... I had to pick them up since I usually pick one up anyway and Jay's car is broken down currently and shit. Don't get you panties in a scrunch here as I don't need to deal with this shit today when here with you of all people doing this shitty movie...?'_

_'... I told you to come on time...' _A clicking sound was heard and he knew it far too well yet he couldn't move only stan there helpless over the scene, _'... T-t-told you to... T-to not follow m-me...?' _

Everything afterwards was a messy blur for the blond when running his hands up then down at the sides of his head. From there before he can manage to mute what they were saying a gun shot rang through his ears yet the imagery in front of him was nothing. His eyes were glossy with tears from what he can presume was streaming down his cheeks as he saw everything going a horrible pitch black around him. Then he undeniably hears the distinguished noises of someone choking on their own blood like he was there witnessing it with his own eyes. A sharp instrument known to be a knife was dropped down to the concrete floor below his feet next to Tim glancing back at him with sad eyes before running off in the darkness towards a tall figure. Brian was going to say something; anything, really, he was on it however, he felt an invisible set of hands pushing him backwards where a yelp escapes him then a crackling crack of bone snapping in half.

Darkness turned to light again as a bony hand was then with gentleness placed on his back as he swiftly sees his surroundings change again for another time in a row.


	16. Chapter 16

**7 Weeks**

Waking from a now more pleasant slumber then what has been given to him over the week he's been here at the farm house, Tim was actually starting to enjoy being here to an extent. The family like the old lady was kind alongside her daughter and the granddaughter yet he couldn't understand the only other man. Someone who clearly without effort in hiding so despised his guts whole heartily for little to no reason even if the once proxy knew the reasonings to it. Tim was nothing more than a welcomed intruder into the family's home who was undeniably a weak man with an unknown past to them whatsoever doing nothing to help yet can do many horrendous things if he so pleases. It was understandable that the man didn't like him neither did he enjoy anyone like the man; Chuck was his name who he has to hear being repeated again on repeat by the other family members.

Often, he lays by himself on the worn couch on his back propped up against a pillow laid on the armrest, his arms wrapped securely around his midsection, _'... Chuck, bro may you help me clean up the house for Ma if you can...' _Getting his gaze from down to the carpeted ground over to the family talking ahead in front of him.

Surely and he meant it now than in the past would've helped if one, they allowed him then secondly that his legs still healing from the bear trap injury wouldn't give out on him every time he dares to stand on his two feet. Stupidly enough he had to entrap himself in a not so greatly hidden beartrap yet others may get it as he wasn't in the best mental or physical states at the time. His eyes were annoyingly glossy, unable to see due to the water from the horrible storm pounding heavily with brute force on his quivering body suffering from the persistent sickness alongside the waterfall of the tears streaming down his puffy cheeks about the situation. A parasite making his body unwilling to the sudden changes going completely haywire and he was unable to do anything about it. The love of Zalgo's sake he couldn't wrap his own mind over it with things like common sense being thrown out the very window when he ran away from the reign of his faceless being.

Alone with his thoughts which he liked yet felt desperately alone then actually craving of some attention from the one he loves even if left behind, _'... I really did screw things up for the worse, did I? Though this is the best and Brian with the others won't miss me especially now…?' _A hand shakily brushes up at his neatly brushed hair no longer a stained, slimy and just disgusting mess covered in blood contemplating his life choices as of late.

It wasn't like he wanted to hurt Brian's feelings in doing this that so bluntly told the other he no longer wanted to be in a committed relationship due to a topic they could've easily talked over a week past. Like they were full grown adults with a stable mind which can if he had allowed them to continue on past his angry rants on how this shouldn't have happened to him instead, he's acting like a babyish man child. They couldn't simply raise a child with the type of profession they're in by unwilling force even if the blond told him in calm reassurance somehow it amazed and angers him alone at the same time. Like how they should keep the parasite, not a baby when he wanted to simply rid the thing the very time, he first learned on why he was sick to his bloated stomach. In his thoughts the once flat stomach he obtained from many months to even years working hard for was being surely getting awfully plump, round and something he can no longer fight with it to his distaste.

When he's going to go back to what he was doing beforehand a young, high pitched voice wanting some attention given, _'... Uncle Chuckle. Come play with me...?!' _Youngest in the family were to call out to her family members however, like before from what Tim can tell ignored her with words explaining that they were very busy at the moment.

So often enough there was outrage from the said uncle when he, himself called out to her if she wanted to just play something with him where he didn't mind. At least it was something, really anything to keep his limp, useless self-preoccupied until he was well again. It will though sadly, be some while when he's able to walk in order to leave for whatever black market that didn't mind dealing with someone like him with his odd predicament. How anyone be able to do this strange form still growing inside his now small pouch that felt awful on his previously past thin body. Hands of his often without his knowledge would graze at the bump where he grimaces at the thought, he was in such a predicament he would've been classified a freak if anyone else knew.

As well that this was the twitchy dumbass's fault that he was in this condition in the first place while a little bit his partner's too where the other should've known something was wrong before acting on the hidden desire. What didn't help was the man he did care for a whole heck of a lot thought with some nerve, not entirely smart at all that he wanted this down to actually keeping the thing. In all honesty he was uncertain along the lines more so that there was no way in hell would he desire for this despite the past talks with his partner over the matter to starting a family once they're alone with their thoughts. Work for the Slenderman has never been easy so they never had the time to really think on the matter although he thought the both of them acknowledges that having a decent family life wasn't going to happen any time soon or realistically not at all. It was something he, himself gotten used to where he didn't mind just spending the rest to his lonely, sought after murderer life with the other man under the faceless eldritch reign yet his lovely blond shaggy haired lover desired something different and he was so terribly shaken on the whole thing.

It wasn't meant to be this way; he tells in his mind constantly when on that old blood-stained couch mostly spending all his time until recovery alone with the occasional visit from the odd yet thankfully caring, understanding and rather homey family beside the one country hick of a man hating him to the core. The man's unsettled nature with the serious trust issues on who Tim was is very understandable even if it may be a touch annoying at the best of times but besides that they were trying to comfort him the best, they could with him being so stubbornly declining their help. Stubbornness was just a part to his already messed up character that already from his other as equally negative attributes describing him to be not the greatest of people. Someone like him wasn't meant to be taken lightly especially to the family appearing so vulnerably naïve, not entirely knowing who he is and what he can easily do to the if he was in a better health. Taken for granted was his health now slowly declining in front of his eyes where he usually in the past would simply shrug his shoulder then in arrogance puff out his chest where he says often to his nervous partner, he'll be fine and dandy in the long run. At the very moment being he was quite the opposite where he was just begging for death's icy cold touch to take him off this face of the earth but it seemingly like everything else was teasing him.

A trip to this small town's local grocery store with the family who taken him in almost two weeks ago that thought this was the best for him. What they said to him on that day was something attune of _'You need the sunlight, dear or you'll never get outta here any faster' _or that's what he got from their very thick southern accents mostly the elderly mother who fretted over him like he was her own flesh and blood. Ridiculously absurd in his opinion she sees something so unfamiliar with what they often describe in his annoyed disdain some angsty dark past. It was a touch irritating for him to bear yet what was doing the trick tenfold was staying cooped up in that house owned by the strangers supposedly 'healing' when he's meant to be far on the run by now. Of course, he didn't know where he was running to as back in the real world, he has literally nothing besides the infamously known name as the masked man who's completely unemotional, calculating and overall dangerous to be around even when he's trying to be nice to the ones not deserving to it just like the family he was allowed to stay in their cozy home for the most part.

What turned him back to the cruelest reality where he has nothing then simply and horrendously stuck with an issue, he can't rid of it is then he hears a soft squeaky voice ask something along the lines, "How are you feeling today, mister? Better I hope" His dark eyes showing nothing then just exhaustion from a morning consisting to vomiting in the nearest trash can left for him, he shrugs his shoulders back with a soft pop in response.

_'Morning sickness fucking sucks, kid. I don't know why you woman want to do this to your damn selves in order to have a shit brat like yourself?' _

That's what he wanted to say to her yet bites back at his sharp tongue from saying so as he knows no bad language will be tolerated by either the mother, grandmother and god forbid if he says something along them in front to the uncle with a stick so lodged up his own ass. Eventually with common sense with the basic knowledge that although stuck in an old as hell wheelchair creaking every time, he wheeled it around the place the other man would've kicked his ass to the moon where sadly, he's completely unable to do anything about it. Anyways if he were to say something like that in the first place it blows his cover right then and there in the open, he wasn't exactly normal which he knew the uncle was desiring to see something like it with him. Freakshow; it persisted on with that nickname lingering in the backburner to his mind whispering insulting then more so then so about him as a person known to be nothing more than a murderer. A groan to complete horror over the matter anyone can know anytime yet he knew better than that to worry on a thing so minimal though by his partner's perspective so dang important.

"Mister? You're alright over there?" Asked again by the girl upon knowing it took some time before he even replied and so dare, he takes some time to rethink his choice to more appreciate words for her impatient little ass.

"... I'm doing fine, Lou. Just y'know the same sickness plaguing my mind 'n body...?" He halfway admits to her without going into full detail over it since she was a child nonetheless, he felt the most compelled by her fiery personality than anyone else in the small family with the exception somewhat to the elderly mother.

"Oh? That must not be any good, huh?"

Another tired sigh came from his parted chapped lips quirked into a frown, "It isn't. Really it isn't something I like to deal with constantly at all. This here isn't helping it any better either" Tim points lazily to his rather useless legs laid uselessly against the metal to the creaking wheelchair.

"But one day you'll be able to walk again?" She pipes up with the enthusiasm of a million boisterous children but he, himself still or never had to begin with when skipping alongside him towards a shack like building up ahead. A cheaply appearing place referred to the grandmother as their small town's only grocery store although he can only guess they could've gotten half for free no doubt to what the store had back at the barn house. Upon entering the store, it was to be expected to get some stares from the locals as they refer him to what they seen him on the first time he came to the town from the foreboding forest as the odd case screaming uncontrollably about an unknown figure. "Then you be able to help us out more. It gets so lonely out here by ourselves sometimes." Head swung away from the curious, judging stares he grumpily stares over the gray-haired woman always babying him slowly examining over cantaloupe. All the while he didn't bother to answer back to the girl skipping over to her pale skinned granny as he too wheels over with a peeved expression saying he didn't want to be there with them all day.

"Hopefully so. I don't want to be stuck in this stupid thing. However, afterwards I would love it if I can leave this place and go somewhere far, far from here as possible..." Finally, he does answer to the girl's eagerness in wanting him to stay there forever working then acting like they were family even when not in blood, "... But right now, may I say here if I can that is that this is incredibly stupid? Could've you have done this whole thing by yourself without dragging me along for the ride. I can't do literally anything like this and I want to spend my time back at hom- your place?"

Babbling on, he thankfully cuts himself off from continuing on with a highly humiliating fact he was close to saying something meaning he was growing a bit more comfortable with them to his distaste.

"Uh huh, dearie. You need this... Going outside, that is then staying in like a grumpy, ol' hermit" Granny remarks in a quick snapback in what Tim can easily see as a shit eating grin plastered on her aged face. "... This is healthy for you. All during your stay here at my home where I allowed someone to your gruff appearance and snarky, know it all attitude you're been nothing more than such a weak, sick thing I worry on and you need it" The grin on her face falters when witnessing the short man although amusing plumping out in some areas mostly in his stomach awkwardly turn the wheelchair away from her. How he fails to do so while accidently rather roughly bumping into a stocky middle-aged man with hair receding noticeably looking like he'll push the stranger she grown attached to onto the dirty, food covered floor below. Thankfully she gave a genuine and maybe forced yet believable excuse to the agitated man backing away that her little friend in the chair didn't mean it. So, once the older man left the pair, not the youngling with them hears the other mutter angrily under very heated breath where in return got the crippled man below to stiffen.

"... Dang freaks thinking they're so above. Freakish man looking like some dumb knocked up whore..."

Odd thing to say, the woman simply didn't understand what the man was speaking on but Tim did when starting to shake and mutter words.

"... H-he couldn't know... Do. Do I look like I-it so early...? Can't b-be... I can't... Don't w-want to be... F-freak...?"

A pitiful whine was emitted by Tim and so suddenly a hand rubs his shoulders then a little across his back as it soothes him swiftly to stop the mutters not understand by her which was worrisome. Immediately she feels the shoulder to the man still as his dark eyes all glossed over staring almost lifelessly at her; some may say they would feel nothing by it though she feels the broken soul behind them. She saw them easily without having to struggle to even see it when letting out a sigh from it when knowing from the past incidents to her trying to have him open up, he won't do so with anyone. It wouldn't be too much longer when they were close to finishing up with their grocery shopping as she continues rarely so often to looking down at the man resting his head on his hand. How he looked so down over the stranger's comment made her old heart slowly pounding in her chest clench horribly at the sight that the wheelchair bond man looked grief stricken over it alongside something else most likely troubling him.

"Calm down. Don't listen to him. He like anyone else here to an extent are a hard arse. Thinking they're above us" She softly chuckles from her own comment when pushing the man away to another section to the tiny store, "... Now why don't we finish this trip of ours, shall we?"

"You're telling me. Everyone here is so freaking stupid" Tim mumbles obviously annoyed when thankfully not saying any bad words in front of the young girl staring wide eye at the section to the store holding various fair skinned, blond haired and almost too perfectly appearing dolls. Small fingers twirled with her curly, puffy locks whilst observing the aisle more than previous to look for a specific doll seemingly by her determined facial expression though once she knows none were like her, she easily with a huff given up on the search. Another girl similar looking to the dolls around to Louanne's age was already in the aisle sneers rather ugly even on the face to a child. It was an expression he knew very well since he shown it plenty times himself which was of disgust and discrimination to people who were supposedly lower than they and now he knows at least it was wrong. "They seem to have a vendetta over you guys for some reason or another?" He asked, it's been on his mind since the very start when he figured out that anyone else in the town besides the family, he's staying with didn't like the oddness seeping from the family itself which he may not be entirely helping the matter.

"Yeah. They do..." A sigh came from the older woman as she shrugs and places some more items into the medium sized basket, "... We were never normal to their likes from the beginning and when something not so pleasant happened in the past it didn't really help the matter any better for them to like us... Though for myself, I grew past that and don't give a damn on it anymore"

In the end to the question being answered they both shared a nervous, awkward laugh with one another as the elderly woman made sure he sworn to not tell anyone in her family she actually swore. Silly but he did even when she didn't say anything too bad however, that may just be him who often cursed things that even sailors would blush over it like some school girl in a cheesy anime. They soon eventually continued on with Tim taking or at least attempting to calm down when eventually pushing himself through the store although with some difficulty coming with it. Yet he wasn't the least bit surprised by it as he never really expected himself to be in a wheelchair to begin with when thanking the imaginary gods above listening to him somewhat the grocery shopping was done. Earlier on with what the man said was such an odd comment the once proxy forgotten that was made from anger yet he said such stranger things himself so, he understood to an extent where it was coming from by the peeved stranger.

As they return home after hours gone out to the town, Tim was helped pushed in by the woman's middle aged grumpy as hell still son while the daughter talked to her mother on something, he couldn't hear a lot on it when inside. Some details he can hear barely was about the granddaughter's school having a father daughter's dance that proved to be a problem he can see without a fatherly figure in sight. Tim did lean over just out of curiosity mostly so; he wasn't being too nosy here god forbid when continuing to overhear the meant to be private conversation between the woman in the next room. Words he can pick up on was important to the mother to the mixed child with the missing father figure as she appears by the tone to her voice worried about it down to how the other locals will react to it. A sad expression actually came across Tim's face it came to be a surprise to himself over it when looking away and instead to what was in front of him.

Once inside back in the living room where he was alone for the most part with the exception to the man behind him who was huffing out some choice words underneath his breath breaking the silence, "Getting heavier by the second, aren't you? Maybe you should cut it back with the snacks my ma and sis make for you?" man known as shit head by him but Chuck to the family had the nerve to once again comment about his slight but to some noticeable weight gain, "One of these days sooner or later you'll wouldn't be able to do pretty much anything on your own anymore? You be totally immobile like those sad sacks weighing over seven hundred pounds and like hell, are we be the ones taking care of your fat ass?"

By gritted teeth Tim made an insult to his own at the man quote unquote helping him to the couch though in honesty just roughly picking him up onto his feet then shoving him onto the old thing, "... Watch it but really, you shouldn't be saying anything, you dumb as a rock hick. From the looks of you it appears that you didn't even graduate out of high school. Maybe not left middle school most likely?"

"All 'm trying to say is that if you keep eating up out of my house here like a pig we have on the farm, you'll never get outta here alive and instead in one of those black bags on a stretcher?" Chuck insisted on continuing even when everyone even this cocky stranger know of his anger issues rivaling with the immobile man below who got a temper as well, "I won't complain any other way for that since it be best. See that no one really from your 'past' cares about you as if they did, they would've found you by now"

What the man said was a bit of the truth as if anyone back at the mansion such as his partner, the other proxies or maybe Slenderman to some extent should've found him by now. Brian mostly as the two of them were meant for one another even under these forcibly unique circumstances. So, as his anger came to the tipping point, Tim weakly pushes himself up with his arms doing most of the work while his legs doing nothing to help making him look at all intimidating whatsoever with the man. "... I have had people care about me, more so in romantic terms then you. You, Chuck aren't someone I can even ever see anyone ever falling in love with? You're a dumb ass country man with nothing but his mama, sis and little niece being the only woman caring only slightly about you..." The man above him standing like a tower over his weakly stature slowly hunching over eyes twitch in growing annoyance with a fist being raised up yet not punching him but rather roughly with no care picking him up from his spot on the couch by the tuft to his collar. A deep growl emits past the man's cracked lips where Tim can now easily see all the pores, wrinkles and scars adorned on the elder's face twisted into a scowl.

In actuality despite his gruff appearance showing no shock over this, Tim was legit worried down to being scared he was going to get seriously hurt again just like the beartrap weeks ago.

"Chuck?! You better let him go this instant or else it be me you'll be dealing with..." Chuck's old mother scolded him as Tim was plopped right back down on the couch where he struggles to push himself up into a comfortable position.

A heavy sigh leaves the son before departing from the living room back upstairs to the second floor to his bedroom down the hall, "You know, ma'am. I could've handled this on my own, y'know?"

"You couldn't and I'm serious on you bring more careful. I know you want to leave but doing this and saying the things you say isn't helping you in the long run"

Even when he hated to admit to it due to his grumpy self stupidly and stubbornly getting in the way, he had to when replying back, "... I know. Just can't handle this anymore and when I get to the nearest city, I'll find a way to get rid of this mess one way or another..."

The nearest black markets that allow a strange man like him to get a somewhat cheap and hopefully effective abortion without much question whatsoever on either party.

"Good to know you have... Plans when leaving here?" She smiles weakly before turning it into a frown in a swift fashion, "Bu before you go ahead in doing that, I would love it if you give an apology to my son. I do get it that he's one tough cookie but he does have a sweet interior inside? What the things, not only you said but both were hurtful and you need to know people besides you have their own tragedies"

"Must I? What I said was very much deserving for your son?" Tim coldly responds however his heart stills at the pain stricken look on her face.

"Can you, please? I know it may seem like I'm asking a lot but it be sweet of you to better know him on a personal level. He does tend to get lonely being the only man around here?"

_'If you were to get to know him better you may learn new things and maybe about yourself too?' _So begrudgingly the dark-haired male accepts that in the morning he'll go ahead in giving an apology to Chuck for what he says down to how he treated the other on his stay her at the barn house, "... Okay, I will. May find some things out about the guy, I like... Maybe and 'change' my perspective?" Learning things that would change how he thinks about the world around him that is not always so cruel and that he can somehow live normally despite his current issue.


	17. Chapter 17

**7 Weeks**

Although it was now early in the day where even the sun wasn't up in the sky just yet, Tim simply found out that he was wide awake left unable to sleep for any bit longer. It was thankfully no longer a difficult feat like the week prior to do so with the pain from his legs inflicted by the stupid beartrap keeping him weakly alert at all times. Litteral pain as every time he felt the blood gushing out, bones feeling like they'll snap any moment or his heart ever so rarely stop this morning was different. This time around though similar to that issue he felt still the tremors was instead wondering on how he should go with the elder woman's words in apologizing to the son without making it seemed forced on his part. During so his train of thought had to be stopped quickly in a snap when feeling an overwhelming static sensation shoving its presence into his mind.

The man immediately gasps from fear when springing upwards to the point he stumbles off the couch onto the floor, "... Ugh. F-fuck man..." In an instant in the corner to his eyes, he thought he saw a tall shadowy figure looming over him yet to realize it was nothing but a coatrack being the one taunting him. Coatrack with the coats hanging on it was so gaudy even his old boss's 'relative' or whatever the other beings are called as but that one known to be trendy would've revolted in horror over it that made the once masked proxy chuckles softly like a mad man before he stops b his migraine. So, lying on his side on the floor he continues in rubbing his head all the while repeating he saw nothing in any means to scaring him in such a manner and he was only seeing things like old times. A time where he chokes back a distressing cry knowing he left the only ever person who actually gave a shit about him with a faceless being, not out of anything devious but newfound emotions racking his mind. Fat, ugly tears streamed down his cheeks where he feverishly wipes them off from existence before anyone including himself saw he was tearing up like a huge baby despite being almost thirty years old.

_'__I just can't go there to that man and say 'I'm sorry' to him?' _Finally getting back to the topic he needed to do merely for the elderly woman's sake so she would no longer further guilt trip him any ore about it, _'Even if now isn't the most perfect times. Almost everyone is asleep besides me and one other person, I think...?' _

Glancing back at the living room around him, the wheelchair he had to move him around was nowhere in sight so, he was basically screwed in being mobile enough to talk to the other man about this complicated relationship between them surrounded by mistrust with the obvious anger toppling over it all.

Then it pops back into his memory on the disappearance to the only thing that helped him move around as he sighs, _'... Fuck. Yeah, I forgot. Delanie... Yeah, that's her name? She took the dang thing for something...' _Tim didn't know for what was the reason she took it away in that huge truck of hers as the time it happened, he was dozing in then out from currently a lacking to sleep or any will power to stay awake. A common thing for him to do besides falling asleep at the oddest times or places was the odd cravings, need to throw up afterwards then surely, most obvious his raging hormones left horribly unchecked going rampant. Uncontrollable urges to cry then eat everything in sight and go back to angrily crying again whilst rambling off in things about his past in small tid bits, thankfully to the strangers. However, it as a touchy subject now more than ever he felt completely alone although with the small family by his side attempting to comfort him. But when he got back on his feet which he means when he actually got back on them without tripping over his own two feet, he has things to do then people to see again who he remembers last spoken lied to her about everything like what exactly happened at the end.

Not like he wanted to do so at the time as she seemed like a nice girl even if he may not know her entirely maybe he simply forgets about her like everyone else to his disdain. Only thing he can see is her along with the others their saddened foggy facial expression shifting into one to understandable hateful anger. They; each single one of them circling around him with their worse conditions once the faceless being was done with them in his dreams would often ask him why then eventually question on how he can be such a liar. It wasn't his fault whatsoever yet from what he felt from the tainted auras it indeed was and they'll be fine if he wasn't involved in their lives from the start. More tears busted out from his puffy, red eyes as he kept laying there lifelessly on the floor with the occasional twitch and shudder struggling to get up in the process over how he didn't deserve to have anything like a loving, understanding partner who gets him nor vulnerable, loving children most likely at the time being growing dependent on him for their life.

As horrible as he sounds, appears and how he wasn't a great person, he knows the woman by name now with some thankfulness to the higher power; Jessica wouldn't mind helping him out through hard times, right, he thought, "... C-calm. Calm the fuck down, T-Tim... Its j-just hormones getting at you. Once a-fucking- gain..." Grits out painfully by Tim as he pushes his body across the living room towards the bottom of the stairs, it's going to be hell climbing it up but after like a full-on hour he got on the second floor in one piece.

Beyond difficult to climbing the stairs on his own, Tim was starting to feel sickly tired and wanted to topple down right then to go back to a peaceful slumber in the hallway, h couldn't or he'll get the family hurt if they trip over him. One which was a big if as the grandmother and granddaughter was outside in a rather flower patch with the mother to the young girl was out getting stuff for them so, in the house he's alone with the other man. As well, he needed to apologize to that hick he called the older man even if he at the time was deserving may have gotten too far for all the help the family given to such a sad sap he turned into from a previous strong, collected and ' calm'ly professional male. A lie in truth since he was most to none of those things as he appears the outside world for the family, he's currently staying at imagining in not so much shock as a previous know it all snob down on his luck in such a terrible way. Once he got his mind back on track and that was to go to the country hick's room to apologize with all his heart like the grandmother told him to him hours ago, he pushed all his bad thoughts back.

In Chuck's defense was the stranger had to be loudly stumbling down the hallway with no means in quietening down and it clearly wasn't to be expected at this odd time to the day when the big, bright star wasn't there in the sky anymore from the look of it alongside mostly to the clock set up on the wall ahead ticking past eleven p.m. was to hear first, the heavy breathing to a person struggling, something hitting against the stairs to the floorboards then eventually after a while of curiosity peaking interest a voice breathlessly spoke.

"... Hey? Are you awake...? Or alive in there…?"

Even if it wasn't around midnight, close but not entirely yet where every farmer ever around the world be calling it a day wide awake by now, Chuck was different as he was a night owl kind of and no means a morning bird nor wasn't one to be startled back to the real world in his room at the worst time imageable so, he groaned loudly while internally too from the voice on the other side to his door. The bed creaks softly yet loudly when the exhausted man that was him pushed himself off slowly from the bed while after seriously pissed off by the interruption from his slumber doesn't stomp his way to the door. Instead to even his surprise he in a sluggish mood opens the door and from the previous day his anger gotten even more worse upon seeing a familiar face. A face he wanted to clock in the jaw right here and now despite his mother like the rest of the family angrily scolding him for his wrathful stupidity, not like he wanted to do that either anyways. In the end, he'll get into serious trouble over this if he were to try anything against the other man slouched there against the doorway waiting for his response.

"... Great to see you're indeed very much awake and alive, not that I know from the bags under your eyes. I need to talk to you about something if that's ok-"

When Chuck sighs, he immediately cuts the man off by trying to close the door but it was stopped by the other scooting in between, "Not in the mood to be talking to the likes of you? It's soon going to be night; I'll want to go to sleep soon without being bothered so if you can't obviously see that with your own eyes?"

"And I understand that completely. All I was attempting to say to you is that I'm well... Sorry. Sorry that is for how I treated not only you but the rest of your small family here...?" A hand nervously itches at the back of the shorter man's neck with those once stern, cold eyes softening up a bit.

"Really? You're sorry? Of all people I met someone like you is sorry?"

Forced chuckles escape Tim who saw how tense this was between the two of them, he got that fully with hos he acted and the other man surely didn't help, "... I get that. Understand that as my partner, Bria- Ex, I guess..." Whatever was going to be said was cut off by Tim from finishing anything that was too important to tell this man where other than that if he was to continue it, he'll find himself tearing up once again. No means possible will they be able to get back together now, no matter what each other says to reconnect. Tim wouldn't allow the other man; his lover although he considers the blond as an ex nonetheless to get all tangled up in this mess, he knew shouldn't have happened at all. They with him more so wouldn't be good parents at all with how they are as somewhat known criminals and himself not taking good care to his body when in a current, fragile condition. "... He often says that I'm a tough ass to work with. That I sometimes annoy or more so scare a lot of people off by my actions and words. But this, right now, I do mean the apology as well... As sappy as this may sound to you, I do want to turn my life around for the better and shit. What I'm doing now is begging for forgiveness from you and what I said meant no harm..." A lopsided grin broken past his will to look not pitiful in front of the man seemingly taking sympathy over him, he does look to be beaten down.

"... Yeah. No need to get all apologetic on me here?" The taller man absolutely towering over Tim since the dark-haired man was sitting on the floor after all was letting him enter the room for more privacy. A good thing with him looking so awful sitting there like a dog at the other's feet when dragging his limp body inside the room appearing cozy enough to his likings to get comfortable. "I know why you're here besides wanting to apologize and it has to do with my Ma, right guilt tripping you, right?" In awkwardness, Tim bluntly states it with a nod he is indeed here for another reason and the man didn't seem to mind too much on it. A pair of huge, strong and calloused hands moved underneath his arms then soon after he was picked up with ease onto the edge of the man's bed. "She sometimes does that often when seeing either my sis or I getting hurt by something and by someone? She means the best but we, I mostly don't need the protection all the time. Almost forty over here and I can handle myself, I guess?" It was nice to see the guy plopped down beside him somewhat adjusted to his presence here with slight uncomfortableness settling there still between them.

"Got hurt a few times by a few people, huh?" He asked, brows raised a bit as his skills as a proxy were raised to learn everyone's faults and etc. like now where he didn't mean to do so when simply curious by his basic, sickeningly parasitic need to stay alive when danger were to occur.

"Yeah. Common for my life I gotten used to it but one well, she had her reasons behind it, I can completely see that now?"

Tim with a small smile turned into one full of smugness leaned in close but gave the other space since he can smell the gross amount to sweat coming from work by the man before him, "Mind telling me? Y'know since we're growing to be quite the pals or some shit like that for your mother?"

"Don't test your luck with me. I can kick you down the stairs if I so wish and I don't mind doing so to a snarky, fat, cripple like you?" Chuck sneered for a moment for a split second before then tiredly sighing, "... Though that's your character, I see fully even if I don't want to and from what my Ma say, you'll getting better slowly where that's a good thing, yes?"

A shrug came from the smaller, rounder in the stomach man who from consciousness wrapped his arms around his softening up middle.

"But back now is that from the way you act without knowing people such as myself is going to get your ass surely kicked until its nothing more than a bloody pulp? Done stuff like you when I was younger and got myself in serious trouble but one good thing came from it as I met the girl of my dreams who turned my life good...?" Smiling softly cracks into a deep frown since it was still a touchy subject for the old country man to get over as its been years now from then. "... She was an absolute peach to hang around when I first met her and quite the beauty too? Not that I found her great on that accord alone, she had an amazing personality like a fire cracker but down to home too. But things didn't work out down the road" Broad shoulders moved back leaving a noise like a bone cracking to be heard, Tim shriveled away from it when remembering how the bones in his legs snapped in two. What a horrible way to spend the night with large amounts of blood seeping out thickly from his injuries, putrid smelling vomit lingering too near and horribly enough dealing with the excruciating pain to breaking the bones in his legs again yet worse. Way his legs were crooked in odd, inhuman ways made him pale even now when it's been almost a week and a half from that disastrous incident almost taking his life. During the night alone in the heavy raining hitting him at every angle with those injuries was something new for him to withstand.

Before he was about to get sick to the pit of his stomach again from the traumatizing memory Chuck continued on to his immense satisfaction. "She wanted to get married then start a family with me right away? I didn't dare to complain over it since I was head over heels with her anyway but we dealt with quite a troublesome hurdle. No matter what she couldn't get pregnant afterwards no matter how much we tried it didn't work. I may have worried and stressed too much on me not being a real man in helping her with what she wanted for us as I said some choice words to her saying it may have been her fault when in all actuality it was mines..." Once seeing the look on Chuck's face, it made the short man shrink further away, not out of fear or anything like it though mostly from how he treated the other man, not knowingly caring if he was hurting someone in the process. Tim moved his hand over subconsciously to pat on the other man's lap, nothing to be taken in the wrong manner as he was only being supportive then it was somewhat his old, deceptive job taking hold. "... I told her awful things when I was oblivious to what she was feeling about the situation we couldn't have together. Later I was snapped out of it when realizing it. After going to the doctors due to my anger issues I figured out I couldn't have children due to something wrong down y'know there without going too much detail in it with you. She was gone by then but sometimes I wished for it to end differently" It seemed to work a bit in his favor when the man beside him relaxes to his complete surprise. Like the world around Tim hates his 'awful' decisions as they continuously tell him in one manner or another the life inside is the most important despite his protests.

"... I. I uh, see... Sometimes things don't work between people like myself a-and him. We despite what others back home say weren't exactly healthy in the slightest. We tried to be happier but it just d-didn't work out without leaving some scars caused by it..." Tim weakly mumbles, hand unconsciously running through an old scar on his shoulder blade that traveled down to his chest as he grimaces knowing he had more scars all over his body, "... I should've been more open minded in how people like you, not only myself with my ego live with their own issues and shit...?"

"... It's fine, everyone makes mistakes. You got to get over the past and then learn from it. Myself, I learned from it from my many mistakes leaving my alone in the end...?" Chuck awkwardly reassures Tim when nervously itching a hand through his disheveled hair, "... As well, I did not expect to ramble off like that with you of all people over my personal life with such ease?"

Just a part to Tim's job can be why the other done so though it might've not been done entirely from so as the proxy was rusty and ill, "... Hm. I've done some stupid shit in my life I'm currently trying to get over now and learn from it but when I get out of here, no offense, it all be solved"

"So, do you need help going back down. I heard you struggling climbing up here to the second floor?"

Nodding his head as without the wheelchair, Tim be useless on his own as he was helped by being picked up like a fallen soldier previously only done when he first got there back downstairs to the couch.

"My sister be back with the wheelchair soon. She shouldn't take too much longer? Only getting a few items from the nearest store and most likely got someone to fix that old thing too you need"

His head shook again in understanding when slouching lazily against the armrest to the couch while patiently waiting for the woman out to return, not knowing she'll come back with three unexpected familiar faces.

A drive in that truck seemed to last on forever for Brian's mind when after that nightmare from the past decided to stay awake for the rest of it. Even if it wasn't the healthiest for him to lack any more sleep but he couldn't even get some shut eye without getting hit at each angle mostly his back got the most hits every time. Noises to his discomfort was heard yet it was muffled by the soft snores happening behind him, he can see in the corner of his eyes the other two in the back fell asleep. Not a big surprise to see since he dragged them on a road trip to find his missing lover so early in the morning then with his unsettling, pissed off attitude did its trick in tiring out everyone. The blond acknowledges he wasn't helping the matter by the way he acts towards the two who was only ever trying to be helpful to him when he's going through a whole lot.

_'__Can it really be him? Wouldn't Tim be further along now? Is he really hurt by the looks to the wheelchair and what she says he is?' _Brian looks over at the woman driving down the highway who takes a few more sharp turns leading him to groan from the bump in the road hitting him in the back, _'Shit... If he's seriously hurt and is putting them in danger, I'll kill him, not literally, I say but still, he needs to be more careful' _

Deep in his thinking it was a startle when he was interrupted from his train of thought by the driver's voice continuing off to ramble.

"Finally, its close... Guys, the end is near thankfully. That drive even for me was torturous but we're here"

His hazel eyes tiredly stare over out the window that after some time to continuing driving for another few minutes they were parked in the driveway to an old barn house. Climbing out of the passenger seat to the truck he goes to the backseat and shakes roughly the other proxies awake from the sleep. Both were understandably upset over being waked up in such a manner yet when they saw his dark expression then the home behind him, they understand the end to their destination for the time being came. The two stayed behind the blond with the youngest one keeping his eyes meekly trained to the ground below unable to even glance his way to him as the hooded man stood stiffly at the front porch. His breathing was heavy with exhaustion and obvious irritancy when seeing the nice, kind hearted stranger open the doors for him and the others as they walk in unannounced to some extent.

In the living room he can perceive it as due to the nice warmness coming from the place that held inside some old-fashioned furniture, surprisingly not many technologies in sight by what he observes to his surroundings. A content sigh kind of leaves him when feeling like home although it wasn't his place anyways to be this comfortable even then it was completely broken by an upcoming sight. Which turned his calmness into an emotion not known to him up until recently when actually seeing his love looking well, quite miserable with things like steel and wood supporting what looks to be serious injured legs. Next thing, he saw with squinted eyes was another man even if way, much older than his lover possibly straight too with his love's hand placed on the stranger's lap made him see immediate red. Jealously wasn't anything that complementing to his character but he couldn't help himself at the moment when shoving the nice woman that drove him to this barn house out from his way in order to walk up to his missing lover.

"... Tim..." A deep, intimidating growl erupts from the hoodie clad man from seeing the state to his lover with another man who wasn't him being nice to his carrying partner now made more seeable to him by the softer bump.

Looks from it, Tim appears to have seen a ghost possibly his dead friend if that was ever amusing to laugh about with how pale he has become when scooting away from the other man stomping his way towards him, "... B-Brian? W-what. What. You shouldn't b-be... Ugh, just stay the hell away from me...?!" Hands were moved up in a defense mechanism but were rudely yanked apart.

"... Where in the living fuck have you even been, Tim!? What did you even do to yourself?! Did you even damn think at all in what you were doing to me, you piece of fucking shit...?!"

Everyone in the whole barn including Tim who saw the blond and the other proxies he so desperately tried to run away from to get a chance to a new life standing there unmoving and staring at him in total dumbstruck. Even the strangers he was invited to the house from were shell shocked as the man sitting on the couch had moved away next to his sister as they watched on with the scene scarily unfolded for them. It was anew to their usual mundane boring life when witnessing next to the proxies like them wasn't knowing what was going to happen next and if something were to happen any which one of them would try to stop it from progressing into a dangerous territory. By the scared shock coming from the shorter male contrasting to the red faced look on the other man it was close to going batshit crazy any moment now in a split second. Everything did come to sa screeching halt when the taller to the two takes a dep breath in then out when coldly glaring back at his missing lover where he picks him up from the seat on the old, stained couch.

"... Fuck. Whatever, it doesn't matter now..." Brian hisses, somewhat relieved his lover was fine despite the injuries had making him angrier by the second, "... I've found you again. The boss won't be pleased about this surely, I'm not either but it's going to happen anyways if you, Tim like it or not as you are coming back with us" The occupants didn't bother having a say in this as well, the feel like if they did they'll be murdered on the spot from the glares alone and well the stranger to them had mentioned a man by that name before so, they must've known one another. By this heated conversation it only amplified that they did know what they were to one another as the other two proxies apologized mostly the raven woman saying they be better off at a hotel then here. When everything quotes unquote cooled down after some more yelling from the lover's quarrel, Tim see he's being taken from the house to the front yard to the barn house by his partner. No body though was helping him despite his cries as he with tightly balled up fists punched the blond-haired male on the back. Over all he felt like he was restarting his very own hell again upon seeing Brian's icy look making him fearfully quiver where he felt the static sensation overfills his head continue on unless he stopped the struggling and he did when admitting defeat.


	18. Chapter 18

**7 Weeks**

Nothing further like anger, sadness, or even relief everything was going to be okay now was even felt for the hooded man as his lover tossed over his shoulder stopped the childish antics to pounding angrily at his back. Though what was felt was first the soft bump against his shoulder along with the metal keeping the other man's legs bind up together accidentally hitting him in the side. So, he had to move the man off from his shoulder onto being instead held in his arms bridal style and it really, didn't make the smaller proxy like the situation any better, he understood since he blew up back there with no remorse. It was only because he hadn't seen his dear love for god knows how long; a week or two it has been where he had to lay in bed all alone in the cabin fearfully wondering what may happen to the other man. Legs he can feel with the touch to his fingers were severely broken and it made him immediately cringe then know to be extremely careful with the handling to someone currently peeved off at him.

Every time he felt the legs covered in the bandages with the metal supports keeping them in place hitting with a soft thud on his chest, he heard the pained whimpers come from the other. How he felt extremely horrible in wondering what his partner must be experiencing right now since he wasn't getting any reply. The man's physical pain alone along with the other types must've been so horrible to bear with a whole week and a half especially with little to no treatment properly given, not anything against the nice strangers taking his partner in yet they couldn't do all for such an injury. An injury he feared would take a serious toll on both the love of his love and the small life growing inside despite knowing it was nothing more than a shocked surprise to them. Something neither one of them really wanted since it only came to them by a oh, so helpful twitching hand to a proxy seeking petty revenge that always continued to annoy him.

Then when he stomps his way down the barn house's front steps to the grass covered front yard, he manages to speak in a somewhat calmer tone then earlier on, "... What you possibly done here, Tim could've either gotten you caught or worse killed? Just why as you know we can't live without one another? W-we. We all that we got; you know...?" Brian softly whispers, unable to speak any louder due to the strain in his vocal cords so, he was hopeful for a reason as he had hit a spot in the other man. It was only the two of them mostly as they were best friends even before arriving at the forbidden mansion like around college possible, he can remember it correctly without the static making him forget. Even from that dream including their own friends the blond had issues remembering the others; their faces, voices, how they acted, and just their vastly different personalities from one another that made him wanted to be their friends from the very start. From so, including his dear love Tim who sometimes even he, himself forget about how the man in his hold would've acted before becoming a proxy. Nothing like this even in addition to being the right hand to the boss this wasn't who he knew at all, "... This isn't like you. I know this isn't you. Never was you and you know that..." Stated with a bit of blunt honesty in his words coming out rather strained in the process when standing still for a split second.

Soon he can see those dark abyss-like eyes to the other man roll and then look away from him in an unimpressed glare, "... Good. You know how I feel. Can't believe you're both deaf, blind and incredibly dimwitted to not see this happening with me..." Replied coldly by Tim who shown no remorse in his current life choices seemingly dragging everyone else into it. In actuality he, himself thought it was all a favor he was doing for his hooded counterpart along with the other and not seeing his face again. Oh, how terribly wrong he was when he attempts for another time because his partner didn't want to 'lose' him again like their old friends being snuffed out in such unforgivably cold manners. It was his fault which he knew at the very end to it in full when the ones he really did care for was either gone for good or disappeared from the world in thin air to live such terrible lives due to his negligence. "... As well, it doesn't truly matter if 'this isn't me' anymore as that man, you knew beforehand is long ago dead and I'll be pretty much literally deceased when Slender asshole gets his hands on me?" Once that was said, Tim stares away in the opposite directions, not wanting to look back at the other man.

An annoyed sigh leaves Brian's lips turned into a deep frown upon the remarks made by the smaller male quivering noticeably so, in his arms. What Tim told him although not necessary in the slightest with their situation yet with how their boss was going to react upon their return won't be ideal. However, his partner wouldn't die from it, he knew it and was a little reassured from it as the worst will only be a very severe punishment given by the boss. The faceless boss will do anything, really to make sure they all were in line especially now currently with the most misbehaving proxy curled up trying to shy away from his touch. It did hurt when the dark-haired male does in reaction once he attempts to brush the messy locks from covering the sweaty, tear stained face.

"... Brian..." Kate was rushing over to his side with Toby trailing behind, not wanting to interject himself into their conversation in fear of action from the blond, "... What the hell are we going to do now? We kind of shot ourselves in the foot here with the only people for miles who's wanting to help us?"

Response given to her from the blond was simply just a shrug where he didn't know what to do as he was growing very heated and conflicted over everything once again, "Y-yeah... W-wh-what are w-we going to do?"

Angrily huffing, Brian glares back past his shoulder at the younger man stilling upon seeing his gaze firmly locked on him.

"What? I. I-I'm just asking, t-that's all?"

"I really don't know, right now but I already thought on what we should do..." He looks towards the sibling pair as the other proxies though the only woman between them tried her best in this was staying far from his wrath soon went ahead in helping him open the back door to the nice stranger's truck. The woman in question nervously looks back at her brother who shared the same expression given to the situation at hand. It made the blond-haired proxy quite worried that his reaction back there didn't land either one of his comrades and himself in a really good spot. "... I. I... Well, I'm so sorry for this and how I reacted but it needed to be done or whatever. So, may you take us to your nearest hotel if that's fine with you that is? That be much better for us all to stay there then having to bother you further with our presence? Since we y'know handled our issue and no longer need to bother you anymore?" Really, he tried to keep his composure yet with his partner attempting now to kick him off, not wanting to get into the truck it was dwindling down really fast and an eruption to full blown anger was coming over the horizon. Humiliation was written all over his face over the fact he couldn't keep his cool like he commonly can and when he saw his partner's familiar traumatized reaction to it his heart stilled in pain over it.

"Hm..." The kind hearted stranger replies with a weak smile, her eyes not meeting neither one of the proxies only at her brother, "... It's fine. At least, you figured out your issue, right? Found who you're looking for and that's... Him..." She appeared very much uncomfortable with the situation at hand, Brian can easily understand the reasons why for it. He had just stormed into her family and her house like nobody's business then went ahead in violently taking what was rightfully his and bring the other man back home one way or another. It may seem very cruel to many even the other proxies though he was on thinning patience so, he didn't mind how cold he may appear to achieve what he desires. All that he desires is the other man in his tight, almost or mostly suffocating hold, not planning to let go any time soon unless anyone with a powerful grip tore them apart just like their boss's iron cold hand. "... We can do whatever it needs be to help you in returning back home? We only knew that he somewhat had some family of his own looking for him or whatever? We really didn't know until now that is?" Continuing to ramble off like she normally was her brother caught awing to it like the rest of them as he gently ushers her back inside the barn house though she remained to stay near the open doorway looking at the small group.

"It's kind of dark to be walking so, it's only safe to drive though we don't have a car so...?" He mentions again where he knows the small family is attempting to steer himself onto another path, no longer wanting to really 'help' them anymore. Not surprised by the slightest from it as he did not give the greatest impressions to them when doing what he done so out in the open. "... If you can please, drive us to that hotel? We won't be bothering you much longer then needed once we're there and our car is fixed up?" Replies firmly as he stood up straight and proper like the faceless being taught him to be in the company of others even lowly oblivious, dimwitted and almost painfully dull locals. The boss always hated human kind with the exception to the ones under the cold control had who was nothing more than tools to the nonexistent eyes. But right now, wasn't the time to think about the boss as he felt cold chills traveling down his stiff spine at the imagery to his love getting punished for his misdoings lasting for way too long at the being's upmost inconvenience.

What he saw in his mind wasn't an idealistic picture as he ever so much takes a careful glance at his partner making grunting noises trying to still escape when the youngest proxy speaks up, "I-if that's f-fi-fine with you g-guys though...?"

"...Yeah, it's a touch too dark to be walking to wherever the nearest hotel is? Also, uh... Sorry for being a big bother for you guys over this... It didn't mean to end up like this though at least we won't any longer when finding our lost friend again...?" Kate replies in a softer tone then what even she or the other proxies are commonly used to while hoping for the best in not having the strangers calling the cops on them.

"... Eh, I get it. No worries here, I suppose? At least, he's getting out of our hair now and to a better place now where hopefully he's able to get better treatment...?" It was instead the brother; someone Brian didn't know why but hated due to seeing the strange man near his expecting man so, he can feel his eye twitching, "... Sure. I'll drive you to our nearest hotel and it's going to be fine, I suppose...?" He didn't know why jealousy was springing tenfold on his person perfectly uncommon in his eyes for said emotion yet there was a bit of an understanding when being so deprived, he can guess in his disillusioned mind. "... Uh, you guys can get in and I'll be there in a moment..." Nodding his head, Brian struggles some more with his self-control despite the angry ramblings coming from his partner he was forcing to behave for at least the time being. In the corner to his eye he saw the man once near his lovely partner way too close for his personal liking back at the front porch talking to his sister who gave him something to hide at his waist band underneath his shirt. Knowing what was hidden the hooded proxy rolled his eyes over the matter in protection from the likes of him and he others in the truck, he tries to keep his mind sharply in control. Once everyone was back in the truck inside buckled up, Brian now in the back seat with Tim groggily trying to stay awake from the fruitless struggle sitting in the middle with Toby on the other side then Kate this time in the passenger seat they drove off the property of the barn house.

As the small group consisting to him, the other proxies and the man he wanted to shoot directly in the face with either the stranger's weapon with his own said disturbing thoughts were thankfully interjected before anything serious can happen by what felt to be the sane bump in the road like earlier on. Then another thing kept his mind trained in not doing anything dangerous like a groggy, strained voice catching his attention quickly enough he felt his neck and the back of his head ache when snapping his head towards the source, "... H-hgnh..." Quietly to realize it was Tim groaning out in total obvious discomfort by what Brian hears and somewhat sympathetically attempts to comfort the other with no success only ever more anger directed his way, "... Don't you even dare t-try to touch me right now o-or. Or I... Argh, break your hand..." Roughly slapping the hand away by the runaway man looking off in the opposite direction then at the blond, Brian knew to keep his distance and his emotions in check at least for now until a proper time. Soon they remained to staying in a lifelessly cold trance where one in the truck dared to speak to another so, all it was is an awkward ride down the highway in pitch darkness with only the headlights leading the way providing light. Nobody even dared to make any sounds like a peep for example, Brian can find himself really squirming about in awkwardness over it. However, he saw their youngest proxy having a much more difficult time trying to stay both still and quiet which right now, he couldn't get annoyed like earlier about it when seeing the male twitching more noticeably so, was mouthing things nervously underneath his breath.

"... S-so... How l-long did you guys k-know him…?" Asked by Toby who was growing curious over the matter that his fellow proxy got himself in this situation for a week and a half which gotten Brian to think over as well, "... Like how d-did you even m-me-meet up with him a-anyways? W-what even happened to h-him to get himself h-hurt like this I-if. If you w-were there to see w-whatever w-was done to him…?"

Eventually there was a reply after the proxy's multiple questions from the man driving them in the homey feeling truck, "... Uh, well... He had been with us for some time. A little longer than I woulda liked it. It all started when my sister and myself found him in the forest during our daily trips there stuck in one of my... Beartraps. It was no pretty sight, really. Gross in all honesty when I saw it with my own eyes. Blood all over with others things too which I ain't talking in more detail over but you know what it is..."

It gotten Brian to still, hands quickly turning into tight fists where his knuckles turned a pasty white color as he hated to imagine the pain inflicted from that iron beartrap set firmly on his partner's legs. The horrible, overly grotesque flashes of the possible imagery coming out of it as he stares longingly at the other man sitting in the middle seat still groaning out, arms wrapped securely around the softening stomach. A pained expression washes over him so many times similar to the boiling anger it was starting to take a serious toll on himself where he was itching harshly at his skin. Now he was only needing to get this ride done and over with quickly so, he can have some one on one time with the only ever man he cared for some time way long ago before arriving to the mansion working under the faceless being. Then he merely in silence overhears the conversation had between the man along with the others since he was no longer in the mood to talk.

"Ow... That. That must've been a graphic sight, huh?" In the front, Kate spoke with an obvious wince coming from the second hand pain to what their masked wearing associate must've felt all alone in the forest, "... Though at least you found him and helped him for the better, I guess? Better then to leave him dead and have that hanging over you guy's head for the rest of your lives?"

"It really was. Thought the guy wouldn't survive through the walk back to our place from the woods or more so the first night. My dear ol' ma who was a nurse in her younger years was able to help get him on his feet again not literally with his injures but you know what I mean by that"

A few loud bone cracking pops resulted in Toby on the other side of the truck as he shits his way off his seat by only a little leaving some of himself still on the leathery surface to listen on more to the conversation, "Hm. Y-yeah... I s-see your ma done a g-good job in m-making him feel b-better? It would've b-been a real pain I-in the ass, really to d-deal with a. A dead body on y-your hands from one o-of your traps l-like you said it w-was caused from?" Shrugging his shoulders back like it was nothing the stuttering young adult soon places his head heavy with exhaust on the palm of his head set on his lap.

"... Yeah, it would've... As with not knowing who he was as he didn't say anything about himself and he had no sort of identification on him besides along with the crazed ramblings it wouldn't do us any good favors in the long run..."

The man with the others where he made them come along for the ride kept speaking on and on about the whole endeavor the small family had with his partner staying with him that did catch his angered attention. Every single thing that came from the stranger's mouth about his love was nothing more than annoying since the other knew not a god damn thing. After a long, hour long drive to the supposedly nearest hotel since rom what the blond struggling to stay awake by roughly jerking his head back up can possibly tell when staring out in the pitch darkness from the backseat's window, he saw the dim neon lights to a sign come their way. It was the ancient appearing sign from the hotel looking just as rubbish nearing up the top of the rather annoyingly bumpy road. A sigh to relief came over him once the truck was parked up front of a separated building to the hotel where it was most likely to sign the four o them up for a room just tonight.

"... Here you guys go. All you need to do is go in that building right over there and talk with the person in the front desk and they may be able to allow you a spare room especially since you're only here for a night..." Staying put in the driver's seat to the truck as the stranger blandly explains to the proxies climbing out from the truck about what they should once by themselves do Brian was growing bored and out of it, "... My family and I will help you if you so wish that is, one of us will be back here in the morning so we can take you to the mechanic's place fixing up your car currently so, you can get outta here as quickly as possible...?"

Not giving the man any more of his attention in the slightest the hooded proxy replies coldly, not any remorse being held back without much emotion when walking away towards the said small separated building with his lover snug in his hold, "... Yeah, whatever. Thanks for all the help..." Once everything had settled down from having to deal with all that bullshit which can only be seen in Brian's droopy eyes struggling to stay awake any bit longer, they made their way to an assigned hotel room by the person at the front desk as he readied himself for a second attempt in a long, tiring conversation where he hopes they can for once spill out the worries, stresses and just everything bottled within them.

All of a sudden, the two proxies, Kate and Toby left watching on with worried shock in the background to the complicated relationship slowly dissolving into what they can only detail as purely toxic. It didn't take too much for the previously out col runaway proxy to be now fully awake and alert upon being tossed though it wasn't meant to be seen as coldly uncaring by him over to a small bed meant for two people but he sees it as that way. Then before he can even react to what was going on his hands were tugged up swiftly above his head with himself left unable to move freely when tied together to the bed pole. A fierce hiss escapes him when fighting against the binds with his metal bound legs although weakly tries to kick off the other man crawling over to be on top him. Not working in his favor whatsoever the dark haired, sickly looking man who's already been through a lot as it is was easily overpowered with his body turning limp under the currently stronger mass wanting a say with him alone.

Attention was taken away from his partner over to the others staying glued to the wall near the door, Brian forces a response to them through his clenched teeth, "... The two of you. Leave the room now so, Tim and I can have some time to ourselves to talk or else..."

"... Hm. Sure can do. Take as much time you even need, okay…" Kate rushes herself and the young baby-faced brunette by her side currently stuck in place watching the scene like a terrorized stone stature out the hotel room, "... We'll be outside if you need us for anything..."

"... Don't need anything from neither one of you so, fucking leave..." From hearing the deep, predatory growl and darkened eyes from their hooded counterpart it was better if they took their leave as soon as possible without getting themselves once again stuck in the middle to the two men's personal wrath, "... I'll be the one to tell you when I'm ready for you guys to come back in here so, go out now..."

The scene clearly dissolving into another brutal attack of verbal and maybe possibly physical abuse between the two partners wasn't what either or proxy wanted to see with their very own eyes. It surely wasn't as they immediately followed the firm, blunt, and cold-hearted order given by the hooded man when scooting their way to the hotel's door which would lead them back outside so they can get away. A hand owned by Kate was holding the golden colored handle then with her other free hand grabbed tightly at the youngest proxy's sleeve and dragged the both of them to the hotel's porch. Once outside the woman heaves out a forcibly tired sigh from her lips while walking over to the railing standing in front to the hotel when brushing her hand through her dark stringy locks as she saw the stranger was long gone by now. During so, there was not awkward though it was still very much so but tense, no nonsense silence which resulted in the young man to uncontrollably twitch, not able anymore to really control the loud pops and cracks leaving his stiff body.

It really took him a lot of effort to say something and when he did it was an overall stuttering mess not even from what any can perceive as words with it being jumbled up, "... I. I s-s-ssscrewed u-up thingsss b-big t-time between t-them really badly, didn't I? Didn't e-expect this t-to even happen like t-that at a-all? I uuuh... e-ex-expected something t-totally different…?"

When he didn't get a response to the other proxy, he felt his joints suddenly locking up where the noises to wind blowing was the only thing that can be heard in their current barely lit surroundings. It made him feel queasy down to unsettled by how the dingy hotel they were staying at looked like the place where notorious crimes would happen; something he along with the proxies and others back home at the mansion would do on a daily basis. However, he felt the pains to many of those crimes done by his own hands going to be inflicted upon him once his masked associate was able to get those calloused hands around his thin, easily breakable neck. The feeling wasn't anything good so, he felt the need to extract that sensation to being sick to his stomach over the thought saying this whole endeavor getting him to be like this was entirely his fault. All he was being was petty over someone who was commonly known the be an abusive asshole relishing in the pleasure of anyone else's pain in either the physical, verbal or mental state despite thinking at the time it had been well deserving to the masked man however it really wasn't anymore now.

"You really did it this time..." She finally responds back to his question telling her the obvious need for the man to feel reassured yet she didn't entirely do so for the other, "... Really, really you've done it. Not even surprised by it anymore..."

It didn't settle the achiness residing within his body starting to badly shake as he wraps his arms around himself, not bothering to look at the woman, "... I... K-Kate. I d-d-didn't mean for t-this to happen, I s-ssswear..." He weakly croaks his response; his caramel colored eyes staring off in another diction towards a small forest surrounding the hotel.

"... Toby... You didn't know what to really expect. Of course, you shouldn't have even done this in the first place but it happened and you had to drag literally everyone in it for petty reasons? Now they have to deal with the consequences done by their own actions getting them there from the not so helpful hands of you but it's a little bit... 'Good' they are talking about it now at least..." It stayed awkwardly tense with them standing there outside the hotel room where the other proxies within was hopefully talking their issues out as they tried to discuss the matter themselves over it.

"I k-know..." Shamefully the younger man kept his gaze anywhere else as he replied, hands nervously itching at his hand, "... Still d-didn't expect it s-so am I really t-to blame h-h-here?"

The young adult didn't like to even dare think he was entirely at blame for this situation since there was the men back inside not having to get down and dirt when the usual peeved annoyed masked man wasn't feeling well at the time.

"You are. Not completely but you are. Some time now you got to at least admit to it that none of this here would've happened if you nor Tim had always been at each other's necks all the time? Also, where you didn't have to 'get back' at him in such an unforgivable manner?"

Now he had moved his arms up to be crossed over his chest as he pouts like the small child he tends to be when things don't go in his way, "... N-not entirely. He d-deserved I-I-it? If he wasn't such a-an ass to me mostly, he wouldn't h-have had this happened to h-him...?" Like this current moment being, he wasn't getting what he thinks is deserved like the comforting reassurance, "... You s-saw what he d-done to me back a-at the mansion w-when I was in the 'wrong' which was b-bbbbullshit? He w-would often beat me 'til I w-was black and b-blue from here t-to here. All I thought I w-was doing now is t-to get back at him and m-make him feel like what I f-feel because of h-him...?"

"I get that, Toby, he wasn't the nicest guys out there and what he done was equally terrible where he should've gotten what was coming for him. Though it shouldn't have been done by you and your actions? Just the boss's hands, not that he may have done anything but it would've been handled in a better light. So, if you going to keep on saying it isn't some part of your fault then go ahead and think it is to where it becomes the truth for you? It's not healthy for you or anyone else when staying that dang oblivious but I'm not you?" Kate thoroughly explains her opinion over it, she didn't really bother knowing if it would hurt the man's feelings whatsoever as this was for the better for him to know sooner than later.

"B-but what I w-was doing is teaching him I. I a-am much m-more than he t-th-thinks I am and that I'm n-not... Not s-ss-sssome retard?!" Anger was running high; Toby can see his hands balling up into fists ready to fight back anything until hearing a sound rips through in between their conversation in the form of a thud happening inside the hotel room, "... T-t-they... They ain't g-getting any b-better? I d-don't think so a-at least from what I h-hear...?" Fear rings through them again despite not wanting to be in this predicament in the first place with Toby moving his fist up to his face to wipe off a liquid substance from staining his face any further. His previously hot-headed anger was still there but was replaced by a new emotion he never liked at all but had felt it all time in the past when overhearing the yelling inside the room by the other proxies. Both himself and the raven-haired woman was stepping near to the shut door where they get enthralled into the conversation had with the pair getting into another heated argument. Toby squirms a little in result from the familiarities resembling back to his past lives with people making him the person he was today not being well off or healthy in any means. How in the possible world himself and everything else are they; the men having the argument ever going to get through the process in one piece or even at all alive was simply beyond Toby's train of thought.

"Why won't you just let me go, you no good dumbass... I. I didn't want this and you knew it yet you're still fucking forcing me into this sick shit!?"

"... Tim, for fuck's sake?! It wouldn't have happened like this in the first dang place if you hadn't done all this stupid shit so, really it's all your fucking fault we're here!?"

Then nothing else was uttered between the mean in the form of screams as it was somewhat a relief yet knew it wasn't a good thing.

"Ugh... No, they are not... It's so going to be a long night..." Kate says through gritted teeth from acknowledging it be a while before they be allowed back in.

In growing hesitance from the twitching proxy, he nods that this wasn't going to be an easy ride for anyone involved when pushing off from the door back to the metal railing, "... Y-yeah... But we m-may have a-an easier time when everything s-settled d-d-down, right...?" Only thing can do is hope for the best when looking up at the night sky where a full moon resided up in.


End file.
